Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 36

Friday, November 1, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 36

1          Economic Uncertainty Leaves Oil Markets Paralyzed
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Economic-Uncertainty-Leaves-Oil-Markets-Paralyzed.html
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates again this week, but signaled that it may be done cutting for the time being. It was the third interest rate cut this year, which marked an about-face after successive increases over the previous few years. The central bank was forced into monetary easing after the global economy showed signs of slowing down, made worse by the U.S.-China trade war.

2          Weekly resin report: Processors begin preparations for reduced year-end inventories
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-processors-begin-preparations-reduced-year-end-inventories/180904835961780

Domestic demand in the spot resin trading market slowed last week, as asking prices for fresh offers ratcheted higher, but strong exports again brought completed volumes to solid levels, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update. Some special discounts for commodity grades in the domestic market—suppliers still had railcars requiring disposition before the end of the month—helped move some material, but notwithstanding one-off deals, overall pricing for both polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) balanced out steady.

3          U.S. oil output soars to record 12.4 million bpd in August: EIA
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oil-output-idUSKBN1XA2A6

U.S. crude production soared nearly 600,000 barrels per day in August to a record of 12.4 million, buoyed by a 30% increase in Gulf of Mexico output, according to government data released on Thursday.

4          Asian coal demand to drive exports from North America’s West Coast
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/10/31/asian-coal-demand-exports-from-north-america/

Coal demand is declining in the US and Europe, but coal remains the world’s most dominant fuel for power generation. Despite what you may read, the global market for thermal coal continues to gain steam, particularly as Asia builds new coal-fired power plants to charge its growing economies.

5          Oil Set for Biggest Weekly Loss in a Month
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/oil_set_for_biggest_weekly_loss_in_a_month-01-nov-2019-160213-article/

Oil headed for its biggest weekly loss in a month as swelling American stockpiles and renewed doubts over a long-term trade deal between the U.S. and China suggested supply will keep outpacing demand.

6          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-weak-job-pmi-data-could-send-prices-higher-609933

Weak data could pressure crude oil prices because this would highlight the expected drop in future demand. U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading mixed shortly before the regular session opening on Friday.

7          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-bearish-reversal-top-could-trigger-break-to-2-563-2-522-609929

Natural gas futures are trading slightly lower early Friday after posting a dramatic technical closing price reversal top on Thursday. If the chart pattern is confirmed later in the session the market could pullback another $0.06 to $0.10 over the near-term. The catalysts behind the price action was a bearish government storage report and a weak cash market.

8          Exxon Mobil beats 3rd-quarter expectations, but hurt by lower oil prices
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/exxon-mobil-q3-1.5342268
Exxon Mobil Corp’s third-quarter profit nearly halved, hit by lower oil prices and weaker margins in refining and chemicals, with its three major business reporting lower year-over-year profit. Earnings fell to $3.17 billion US, or 75 cents per share, in the quarter, from $6.24 billion, or $1.46 per share, a year earlier, the company reported on Friday.

9          Brazil’s $50 Billion Oil Boom Is Falling Apart
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Brazils-50-Billion-Oil-Boom-Is-Falling-Apart.html
Exxon may not be interested in stepping up to the bidding plate at Brazil’s massive $50 billion transfer of rights auction next week, because the oilfields up for grabs come with a hefty price tag, Exxon’s president of exploration, Stephen Greenlee said in an interview with Bloomberg.

10        Encana declaring itself American is a gut punch for Alberta
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/encana-suttles-oilpatch-alberta-houston-denver-1.5342935
The most historic energy company in Canada decided on Thursday to fill out some forms and declare itself American. That change is an exceptionally bitter pill to swallow for the beleaguered oilpatch in Western Canada.

11        Novatek publishes its latest results
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/31102019/novatek-publishes-its-latest-results/

Pao Novatek has released its consolidated interim condensed financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended 30 September 2019, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

12        Total has declared its 3Q19 results
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/31102019/total-has-declared-its-3q19-results/

Total’s Board of Directors met on 29 October 2019, to approve the Group’s 3Q19 financial statements.

13        Another Oil Major Beats Expectations Despite Poor Profits
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Another-Oil-Major-Beats-Expectations-Despite-Poor-Profits.html

Shell became the latest Big Oil major to report weaker third-quarter profits as low crude oil and gas prices dented its net result. However, the Anglo-Dutch company managed to beat analyst expectations on the back of strong income from oil and LNG trading.

14        Big Oil, investors face returns reckoning amid darkening economy
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-dividends-idUSKBN1XA1T7

Darkening clouds over the global economy have led two of the world’s top oil firms to warn investors that promised growth in returns could be at risk for the first time since the 2014 oil downturn.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 7

Friday, November 1, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 7

1          Borealis Aims to Start Producing Renewable PP by Year’s End
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/borealis-aims-to-start-production-of-renewable-pp-by-years-end
What is likely to represent a new  milestone in sustainable PP will result from the strategic cooperation announced recently between Borealis and Finland’s Neste. Borealis is aiming to produce renewable PP using Neste’s 100% renewable propane produced by Neste’s proprietary NEXBTL technology at its facilities in Kallo and Beringen, Belgium, starting by end of year.

2          Offshore Wind is Breaking Out Of Its Incubator Markets
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/offshore-wind-is-breaking-out-of-its-incubator-markets
From the North Sea to New Jersey, offshore wind tenders have successfully been awarding gigawatts of contracts to bankable, sizeable and increasingly economical projects.

3          Oil majors must cut output by a third to meet climate target – study | Business
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/01/oil-majors-must-cut-production-by-a-third-to-meet-climate-target-study

The world’s largest oil and gas companies need to slash their production by more than a third by 2040 to meet global climate targets, according to a new report.

4          Even Louisiana’s Wealthier Neighborhoods Can’t Escape Toxic Air in “Cancer Alley”
https://www.propublica.org/article/even-louisianas-wealthier-neighborhoods-cant-escape-toxic-air-in-cancer-alley

Once a sleepy stretch of cane fields and plantation houses, Louisiana’s river corridor has been remade over the past century into a petrochemical powerhouse. When chemical companies looked to build along the Mississippi, areas next to black neighborhoods were typically the first to see the swap of sugar cane for smokestacks.

5          Keystone pipeline shut after spilling over 1 million litres of oil in North Dakota
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/keystone-spils-over-1-million-litres-oil-north-dakota-1.5343509

An estimated 1.4 million litres of oil have spilled from TC Energy Corp.’s Keystone crude pipeline in North Dakota, state authorities said on Thursday, a major leak at a time of increased regulatory scrutiny of oil pipeline expansions.

6          Argentina could become ‘sacrificial country’ for plastic waste, say activists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/01/argentina-plastic-waste-dumping-ground-imports

Argentina has changed its definition of waste in a move that could allow it to import millions of tonnes of plastic waste discarded in the US.

The country’s president, Mauricio Macri, signed a decree in August reclassifying some materials destined for recycling as commodities instead of waste, allowing looser oversight of mixed and contaminated plastic scraps that are difficult to process, and are often dumped or incinerated.

7          German path to carbon neutrality achievable and affordable: research
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-energy-transition-idUSKBN1XA1UX

Germany can reach its target of becoming largely carbon-free by 2050 if it keeps expanding renewable power and introduces a hydrogen economy, one of the country’s biggest research centers said on Thursday.

8          We know plastic bottles are choking our planet. So why are companies still selling them?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/plastic-bottles-1.5341617
The American Beverage Association announced on Tuesday that the world’s leading beverage companies — Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper are investing $100 million to reduce the use of new plastic and improve plastic bottle recycling across the globe.

9          Iran’s thirsty energy industry runs up against water shortage
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-energy-water-analysis-idUSKBN1X80H5
The plan to build a petrochemical plant near the Iranian city of Firouzabad had everything usually needed to get a project off the ground: approval from the nation’s top authority, funding from the Revolutionary Guards and plentiful gas feedstock.

10        Most utility-scale batteries in the United States are made of lithium-ion – Today in Energy
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41813

Most of the utility-scale battery systems used for energy storage on the U.S. electric grid use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which are known for their high-cycle efficiency, fast response times, and high energy density. Nearly all of the utility-scale battery systems installed in the United States in the past five years use lithium-ion technology.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 36

Friday, November 1, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 36

1          Your Data Is Shared and Sold…What’s Being Done About It?
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/data-shared-sold-whats-done/

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the most sweeping state data privacy regulations in the country. The law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, regulates how data is collected, managed, shared and sold by companies and entities doing business with or compiling information about California residents.

2          Is Artificial Intelligence Set to Replace Accountants in the Future?
https://medium.com/@fugenxmobileapp/is-artificial-intelligence-set-to-replace-accountants-in-the-future-2bce34be39e9

Long ago, Artificial Intelligence services (AI), robots and machine learning (ML) were thought to be the only ones found in sci-fi films. Today, this type of technology is taking center stage in workplaces worldwide. Industries, including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and customer service, have already replaced some job positions with AI, so workers are scrambling to find new career options.

3          4 Data Sets You Need to be Aware of on Your Website -Big Data Analytics News
https://bigdataanalyticsnews.com/data-sets-need-aware-website/
Running a website isn’t just about picking an aesthetically appealing design, bigging yourself up on your ‘About Me’ page, and posting interesting content. To truly succeed as a site owner, you also have to be prepared to pay attention to big data and analytics. More to the point, you need to be aware of a number of data sets that have the potential to hold your site back from reaching its full potential.

4          Chief Data Officer Survey and Research Results
https://insidebigdata.com/2019/10/31/chief-data-officer-survey-and-research-results/

Research undertaken by YouGov on behalf of analytics database provider Exasol finds that 72% of businesses worry that their inability to generate insights through the analysis of data will have a negative impact on financial performance. This is despite a similar number (77%) of respondents stating that data is now their organization’s most valuable asset.

5          How to Use AI to Detect Soft Skills
https://datafloq.com/read/how-use-ai-detect-soft-skills/7089

The new world we live in gives us more help — and more doubts. Machines stand behind everything — and the scope of this everything is only growing. To what extent can we trust such machines? We are used to relying on them in market trends, traffic management, maybe even in healthcare. Machines are now analysts, medical assistants, secretaries and teachers. Are they reliable enough to work as HRs? Psychologists? What can they tell about us?

6          A Content Model (From Scratch)
https://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/a-content-model-from-scratch-02253316

Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods out there, with lower up-front costs and deeper long-term benefits than paid search. Also, users are getting over-saturated with ads, and therefore starting to tune out. Many users are using ad-blockers, and click-farms and bots are both decreasing the conversion rates of ads, making smart marketers turn to alternatives like content marketing. Gary Vaynerchuck is one of the leading marketing figures to listen to when it comes to content marketing, and he’s created an incredible resource for diving deep into his content model.

7          Creative Ways to Get More Mileage from Your Data
https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/creative-ways-to-get-more-mileage-from-your-data/a/d-id/1335951

Use analytics to your advantage to support your HR department, sales and marketing teams, team managers and ultimately your customers.

8          Do We Really Need Machine Learning for Personalized Recommendations?
https://celadonsoft.com/ai-ml/machine-learning-for-personalized-recommendations

In the 21st century, aka the era of customer-centricity, it’s hard to think of a high-quality software product that does not use personal recommendations. This functionality is actively used for cross-selling and upselling and brings immense benefits to both the company and the customer.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 35

Friday, October 25, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 35

1          Fears Of A Global Financial Meltdown Loom Over Oil Markets
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Fears-Of-A-Global-Financial-Meltdown-Loom-Over-Oil-Markets.html

Oil prices received a jolt mid-week on rumors that OPEC+ might cut deeper and also because of a surprise drawdown in EIA inventory data. Nevertheless, economic cracks continue to dominate the narrative.

2          Oil extends gains despite weak demand outlook
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-oil-idUSKBN1X203E
Oil prices extended their gains on Thursday, with Brent rising above $61 a barrel as a surprise drop in U.S. crude inventories and the prospect of further market-supporting action by OPEC and its allies offset some concern over the outlook for demand.

3          Goldman: A Major Oil Price Rally Is On The Horizon
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Goldman-A-Major-Oil-Price-Rally-Is-On-The-Horizon.html
Energy forecasters see a worsening supply glut in 2020, putting OPEC+ in a bind. But beyond that, the bust could result in a boom as supply growth slows to a trickle. “For three years, oversupply has deteriorated Energy equity sentiment,” Goldman Sachs wrote in a note on Monday. That presented an impossible choice for OPEC – cut output or let prices crash? The group chose to slash production in an effort to rescue prices, but in doing so, it arguably prolonged the adjustment by propping up unprofitable shale drillers.

4          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Supported by Hopes of Additional Output Cuts by OPEC; Capped by Demand Worries
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/crude-oil-price-update-supported-by-hopes-of-additional-output-cuts-by-opec-capped-by-demand-worries-608294

Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, wants to focus first on boosting adherence to the group’s production-reduction pact with Russia and other non-members, an alliance known as OPEC+, before committing to more cuts, sources told Reuters.

5          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-cold-is-coming-but-short-blast-isnt-bullish-enough-for-prolonged-rally-608330

The short-term range is $2.568 to $2.388. Its 50% level or pivot at $2.478 is proving to be major resistance, stopping four attempted rallies this week. Besides being resistance, it is also the trigger point for an acceleration to the upside.

6          Norway’s oil fund now worth NOK 10 trillion
https://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/norways-oil-fund-now-worth-nok-10-trillion/
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, popularly known as the oil fund, has grown to a record 10 trillion Norwegian crowns (NOK) or 1,091,750,000,000 U.S. dollars. To remind, the fund had hit a one trillion-dollar value mark in 2017.

7          New contracts have been signed to promote petrochemical industry
https://www.industryglobalnews24.com/new-contracts-have-been-signed-to-promote-petrochemical-industry

McDermott International has secured a contract from Saudi Aramco and Total Raffinage Chimie for a mixed feed cracker for the Amiral advanced. Under the contract, valued between $50m and $250m, the corporate is to blame for giving licenses, basic engineering packages, extended basic engineering, training, technical services and provide of proprietary instrumentality for the project.

8          Canada Countering Collapse in US Oil Imports From OPEC
https://www.rigzone.com/news/canada_countering_collapse_in_us_oil_imports_from_opec-24-oct-2019-160140-article/

With U.S. crude oil production up 150 percent to 12.4 million b/d since 2008, the great American shale boom has collapsed imports from OPEC. In 2018, OPEC met less than 15 percent of total U.S. oil demand, down from over 30 percent in 2007.

9          Exclusive: Mexico taps banks, oil major as it nears end of 2020 oil hedge
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-hedge-exclusive-idUSKBN1X22LO
Mexico’s finance ministry has completed a majority of its annual oil hedging program, working with at least four top investment banks and oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), sources said, after challenges slowed the world’s largest oil financial deal this year.

10        China’s CNOOC says COSCO sanctions have impact but oil and gas output unaffected
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cnooc-results-idUSKBN1X3161
CNOOC, China’s largest offshore oil and gas producer, on Thursday said it would be affected by U.S. sanctions on its COSCO shipping firm but there would be no impact on its oil and gas production.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 6

Friday, October 25, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 6

1          How To Kick The Hydrocarbon Habit
https://www.woodmac.com/news/the-edge/how-to-kick-the-hydrocarbon-habit/

Let’s start with the good news…

The power sector is already being transformed, with renewables on an explosive growth path, propelled by the precipitous fall in wind and solar costs. Renewables’ share of the global power market rises from 7% today to 25% by 2040. Some markets are also looking to build in grid-edge technologies such as energy storage and EV charging.

2          Can The Energy Industry Rise To The Challenge Of Climate Change?
https://www.woodmac.com/news/feature/can-the-energy-industry-rise-to-the-challenge-of-climate-change/

What about the Paris Agreement? The statement above from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the central aim of The Paris Agreement, ratified at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21).

3          Glacial rivers absorb carbon faster than rainforests, scientists find
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/25/scientists-glacial-rivers-absorb-carbon-faster-rainforests

In the turbid, frigid waters roaring from the glaciers of Canada’s high Arctic, researchers have made a surprising discovery: for decades, the northern rivers secretly pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a rate faster than the Amazon rainforest.

4          P&G to double recycled plastic packaging in Europe by 2020
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/markets/household-products/pg-double-recycled-plastic-packaging-europe-2020-24-10-2019

Fairy, Flash and Viakal will increase the use of recycled plastic to 9,000 tonnes of post-consumer resin and post-industrial resin, replacing virgin plastic in the supply chain. In total, 300 million bottles across P&G’s European household cleaning brands will be converted annually to either 100% recycled or partially-recycled plastic. Additionally, all surface cleaning wipes will be made of 100% recycled fibre.

5          Climate risk leads Kuwait to consider reducing production targets
https://www.worldoil.com/news/2019/10/24/climate-risk-leads-kuwait-to-consider-reducing-production-targets

Kuwait, OPEC’s fourth-biggest member, is considering cuts to its oil production capacity targets, in large part because mounting concern about climate change will constrict demand for fossil fuels.

6          Factbox: Climate targets – the devil’s in the detail
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-shipping-factbox-idUSKBN1X21JK
Amid a groundswell of public pressure for climate action, companies, sectors and countries worldwide have trumpeted new pledges, from setting net-zero emissions targets to declaring carbon neutrality in specific timeframes.

7          The Best Thing About The Death Of Coal
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Best-Thing-About-The-Death-Of-Coal.html
This isn’t another tired story about how kicking the coal habit will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That would be like kicking a dead horse. Instead, there is a massive new benefit to ditching the dirty: Doing so will free up billions of gallons of water.

8          Why Big Oil faces court cases that echo the litigation against Big Tobacco in the ’90s
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/exxon-shell-climate-change-court-new-york-attorney-general-litigation-documents-1.5331228

How much did the oil industry know about the impact of fossil fuel emissions on the climate? When did they know it? And what did they do with that knowledge? Those are the central questions in a series of court cases attempting to hold companies accountable for their role in climate change.

9          Blockchain technology applied to plastics traceability and sustainability
https://www.plasticstoday.com/sustainability/blockchain-technology-applied-plastics-traceability-and-sustainability/51580656461743

Resin suppliers Domo and Covestro are teaming up with transparency start-up Circularise in a collaborative project for circularity in the plastics industry through the use of blockchain technology. The newly-formed Circularise Plastics project group aims to set up an open standard for sustainability and transparency within this field. At K 2019, Domo and Covestro discussed the project with customers and looked for new partners to join them on this pathway towards full circularity.

10           The Billionaire Battle For EV Dominance

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Billionaire-Battle-For-EV-Dominance.html

The neck-to-neck race to dominate the electric vehicle space continues between Elon Musk’s Tesla and Warren Buffet’s BYD. But it’s a much larger story than just EV sales — with both companies being leaders in global sales of battery packs used in EVs and energy storage, and Tesla ready to enter BYD’s home market of China. Two other elements of the story include a decline in EV sales in both the U.S. and in China, and the next trend in electric buses and commercial vehicle global sales.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 35

Friday, October 25, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 35

1          Your Cloud and Data Management Strategies are About to Collide
https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/digital-business/your-cloud-and-data-management-strategies-are-about-to-collide/a/d-id/1336130

Companies are moving further into the cloud and undergoing data modernization. What some don’t realize yet is that one strategy is better than two.

2          The eight essentials of innovation
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-eight-essentials-of-innovation

It’s no secret: innovation is difficult for well-established companies. By and large, they are better executors than innovators, and most succeed less through game-changing creativity than by optimizing their existing businesses.

3          A CMOs Guide to Navigating Data Analytics
https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/a-cmos-guide-to-navigating-data-analytics/
The CMO function has always been critical for every business, but the role has expanded and evolved recently to encompass responsibility for driving predictable and measurable growth – as evidenced by the fact that the function is now often titled Chief Growth Officer or Chief Revenue Officer. As Sales, Marketing and Technology roles become intertwined, CEOs and Boards now expect senior marketers to prove a correlation between strategies and the bottom line.

4          The complete guide to a great customer experience
https://www.smartinsights.com/user-experience/customer-experience-management-cxm/the-complete-guide-to-a-great-customer-experience/
For many consumers, customer service and customer experience are seen as one in the same. However, customer service and experience differ just a bit. Service is a single touchpoint with a brand, while experience impacts all of the feelings and emotions associated with a brand.

5          Supply Chain 4.0: Managing a digital transformation
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/operations-blog/supply-chain-40-managing-a-digital-transformation

As digitizing supply chains becomes easier than ever, managing them is becoming harder. To deal with this complexity, organizations should understand not only where and how to digitize, but also who will lead them—balancing the steady wisdom of experienced supply chain professionals with the drive and ambition of new digital talent.

6          Digital transformation: Improving the odds of success
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/digital-transformation-improving-the-odds-of-success

For established companies, the pressure to digitize business models and products has reached new intensity. McKinsey research shows that the best-performing decile of digitized incumbents earns as much as 80 percent of the digital revenues generated in their industries.

7          The Complete Data Science LinkedIn Profile Guide – Big Cloud
https://medium.com/@BigCloudTeam/the-complete-data-science-linkedin-profile-guide-1e47d14e2bd2

To date, there are more than 830,000 data science LinkedIn profiles registered worldwide. Despite this number of Data Scientists available/in roles online currently, it’s no secret there is still a major talent shortage. In fact, according to a report by O’Reilly Media, nearly half of all European companies are struggling to fill data science positions. Studies performed by Indeed’s Hiring Lab show an overall increase of 256% in data science job openings since 2013, with an increase of 31% year over year from as recent as December 2018. Data science is a vast, complex industry with many subsets.

8          Trump Surrenders 2.5 Billion Barrels Of Oil To Syria
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Trump-Surrenders-25-Billion-Barrels-Of-Oil.html

The American president just gifted 2.5 billion barrels of oil to long-time Syrian enemy Bashar Al-Assad and, by default, Iran and Russia. As far as gifts go, it was both well-received and unexpected given the ‘Deep State’ designs on Syria for years.

9          10 Expert-Approved B2B Lead Generation Strategies
https://www.business2community.com/b2b-marketing/10-expert-approved-b2b-lead-generation-strategies-02251357

According to research from the Content Marketing Institute, 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is a top priority, but 44% rate their efforts as neutral when it boils down to effectiveness.

10           How Will Smart Technology Help You In Your Old Age?
https://datafloq.com/read/how-will-smart-technology-help-you-in-your-old-age/7059

Did you know that 32% of homes in America have already installed some sort of smart home technology? The technology includes such things as smart thermostats, which allow you to control your home’s temperature remotely; doorbells with video capabilities; and Alexa adding items to your grocery list.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 34

Friday, October 18, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 34

1          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Chinese Refinery Output Strong Enough to Offset Demand Growth Concerns
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-chinese-refinery-output-strong-enough-to-offset-demand-growth-concerns-606868

Crude oil is also being underpinned by the hopes that a Brexit deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union could prevent an economic recession in the Euro Zone.

2          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-eia-storage-report-expected-to-show-triple-digit-build-606602

Natural gas futures are edging higher early Thursday on short-covering and position-squaring ahead of today’s weekly government storage report. Prices plunged the previous session, erasing earlier gains as traders raised doubts over the durability of the late October cold that had been creeping into the weather forecasts all week. Sellers also took control on the back of a forecast calling for a triple-inventory build.

3          Weekly resin report: Spot PE market finds its groove
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-spot-pe-market-finds-its-groove/208827774861694

The spot resin markets were very busy last week: Demand was strong, and while supply was available, it was not simply free flowing, reports the Plastics Exchange (Chicago) in its Market Update.

4          Total says 2 million bpd of crude supply off market due to geopolitics
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-total-supply-idUSKBN1WX0EF
Oil markets have lost 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude supply this year due to security and political issues but are more concerned about slowing demand, a senior executive at French oil and energy group Total said on Friday.

5          Deepwater Transformation Sparking New Interest
https://www.rigzone.com/news/deepwater_transformation_sparking_new_interest-17-oct-2019-160082-article/

Changes have revived interest in deep-water projects and enabled new ones in regions including the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and China Seas.

6          Russia Ready To Seize Control Of The World’s Largest Oil Reserves
https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Russia-Ready-To-Seize-Control-Of-The-Worlds-Largest-Oil-Reserves.html

Russian TASS reports, quoting El Nacional, that the radical move is being discussed as a way of erasing Caracas’ debt to Moscow. The debt is sizeable: at the end of June this year, money owed to Rosneft alone stood at $1.1 billion. That’s down from $1.8 billion at the end of March.

7          Northeast Asia LNG trading hub expands on rising demand
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/10/15/jktc-world-lng-spot-trading-hub/

US LNG exports, on destination-free terms, have been regarded as the game changer for the market in recent years. But this view neglects the role played by China’s rising demand, and the changes taking place among traditional LNG buyers in Northeast Asia, which are driving the rapid establishment of an LNG trading hub.

8          Asian LNG spot prices now at eight month high
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/18102019/asian-lng-spot-prices-now-at-eight-month-high/

According to the latest Reuters report, LNG spot prices for Asia have risen to a new eight-month high, as demand for pre-winter cargoes emerges. Spot prices for cargo deliveries in December are now estimated to be approximately US$6.80 per million Btu – a 35 cent increase from last week.

9          Total launches its large LNG bunker vessel in China
https://www.lngworldnews.com/total-launches-its-large-lng-bunker-vessel-in-china/
Total, the world’s second-largest LNG player, said that its first large liquefied natural gas bunker vessel has been launched at the Chinese Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard.

10        Natural gas inventories surpass five-year average for the first time in two years
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41733

Working natural gas inventories in the Lower 48 states totaled 3,519 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ending October 11, 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA). This is the first week that Lower 48 states’ working gas inventories have exceeded the previous five-year average since September 22, 2017. Weekly injections in three of the past four weeks each surpassed 100 Bcf, or about 27% more than typical injections for that time of year.

11        ADNOC and Borealis join BASF-Adani MoU for $4bn renewable energy petchems site
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/10/17/10429192/adnoc-and-borealis-join-basf-adani-mou-for-4bn-renewable-energy-petchems-site

BASF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Borealis, Adani and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to evaluate collaborating on a chemical complex in Mundra, Gujarat, India, the German major announced on Thursday.

12        US plastics boom puts spotlight on sustainability
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/10/16/shale-fueled-us-plastics-boom-sustainability/
Virgin plastic production is thriving in the US, fueled by the North American shale boom. But the reversal of fortune for the US chemical industry has highlighted a bigger challenge amid widespread concern about plastic waste and sustainability

13        A Draconian Crackdown Looms Over Natural Gas
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/A-Draconian-Crackdown-Looms-Over-Natural-Gas.html

The natural gas industry is reeling as the political climate begins to shift against the industry faster and earlier than many expected.

14        US crude exports set to double by 2022: Rystad Energy
https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/drilling-production/35359-us-crude-exports-set-to-double-by-2022-rystad-energy

US crude exports could grow from current levels of 2.9mn barrels per day (bpd) to nearly 6mn bpd by 2022, according to a forecast from Rystad Energy.

15        Russia & China to build world’s largest petrochemical plant — RT Business News
https://www.rt.com/business/470966-russia-china-largest-petrochemical-contract/
An agreement worth more than $13 billion has been signed between China National Chemical Engineering Group (CNCEC) and Russia’s RusGasDobycha to build a natural gas processing and chemical plant.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 5

Friday, October 18, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 5

1          Driving Change: Transportation And Electric Utility Industries Will Soon Collide – In A Good Way
https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2019/10/15/driving-change-transportation-and-electric-utility-industries-will-soon-collide–in-a-good-way/

Starting this coming year, energy pioneers in Toronto will wake up each morning, and jump into their gleaming new Nissan Leafs and purr quietly into the Downtown core of the city.  They will navigate their way to designated parking garages, plug their vehicles into bi-directional EV chargers, and take elevators to their respective offices.

2          Does A Sustainable First World Exist?
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/10/18/does-a-sustainable-first-world-exist/
Sustainable citizens face a quandary. We can’t ‘buy’ ourselves into sustainability. Replacing plastic with bamboo, diesel with electric, it all sounds fabulous, but the carbon footprint calculator results are blunt and we’d still need multiple Earths to suit our eco-lifestyles.

3          Big Oil Leaders Take On The Climate Challenge
https://www.woodmac.com/news/the-edge/big-oil-leaders-take-on-the-climate-challenge/
The OGCI – a group of 13 companies, including all the largest western IOCs and some of the leading NOCs – is “dedicated to the ambition of the Paris Agreement to progress to net-zero emissions in the second half of this century”.

4          Big oil to be eclipsed by the sun
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/18/big-oil-eclipsed-sun-renewables-revolution-fossil-fuels-upside

Oil has been a game-changer for humanity. It turbocharged more than a century of growth and destruction: people got bigger, went further, stayed warmer and lived longer. Oil powered travel, exploration, science, industry and innovation.

5          Floating wind growth could be ‘far slower’ than hoped: study
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1865313/floating-wind-growth-could-be-far-slower-than-hoped-study

The world’s floating wind power fleet could expand at a speed much slower than many in the emerging sector are expecting, with a new study from Scotland’s University of Strathclyde suggesting 4.3GW – rather than the 12-15GW forecast by a range of analysts and developers – is likely to be switched-on by 2030.

6          Confronting carbon: Comparing party platforms
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/confronting-carbon2/
Each plan goes to the heart of the party’s ideological approach to tackling climate change. The Liberals rely on market-driven measures, arguing that climate action and a strong economy can co-exist, while the Conservatives reject taxes on consumers or regulations on industry in favour of green technology. The Greens stress the dire warnings from scientists that even a 1.5 C increase in global temperatures could lead to severe climate disasters — and that emissions reductions should be seen as an urgent national security issue.

7          Warren Buffett-linked company to build $200M wind power farm in Alberta
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wind-farm-warren-buffett-alberta-berkshire-hathaway-calgary-1.5321345

A company linked to U.S. investor Warren Buffett says it will break ground on a $200-million, 117.6-megawatt wind farm in southeastern Alberta next year.

8          Inovyn becomes first commercial producer of bio-attributed PVC
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/petrochemicals/101719-inovyn-becomes-first-commercial-producer-of-bio-attributed-pvc

European vinyls producer Inovyn has launched the world’s first commercially available bio-attributed PVC, company representatives said Thursday. The Biovyn product will be made using 100% renewable ethylene feedstock derived from biomass.

9          Leyline Renewable Capital Raises $150M to Support Early-Stage Solar and Biogas
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/leyline-renewable-capital-raises-150m-to-support-early-stage-solar-and-biog

Leyline Renewable Capital has raised $150 million from private equity firm Newlight Partners to finance early-stage solar projects and anaerobic digesters backed by other developers.

10        The Recycling Partnership and The PepsiCo Foundation Raise $25m for US recycling
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/environment/recycling/recycling-partnership-pepsico-foundation-raise-25m-us-recycling-16-10-2019

The PepsiCo Foundation and The Recycling Partnership has announced that their All In On Recycling challenge, the largest ever industry-led residential recycling challenge in the United States, has successfully raised $25m in a little more than a year since launch in July 2018.

11        Google in renewable energy investment plan to spur $1.5bn
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1864616/google-in-renewable-energy-investment-plan-to-spur-usd-15bn

Google said it will invest about $150m in renewable energy projects that can help to green its manufacturing base. The web giant said the investments to be made alongside partners aim to spur $1.5bn of capital for renewables projects “in key manufacturing regions”, which it did not specify.

12        Plastic bottles vs. aluminum cans: who’ll win the global water fight?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-plastic-aluminium-insight-idUSKBN1WW0J5

Global bottled water giants are ramping up trials of easily recyclable aluminum cans to replace plastic that pollutes the world’s seas. Sound like a slam-dunk for the environment? Not entirely.

13        Coca Cola and PepsiCo “responsible for 25% of packaging beach pollution”
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/top-story/coca-cola-pepsico-responsible-25-packaging-pollution-14-05-2019

Ocean conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) arranged the UK’s largest ever nation-wide survey of packaging pollution found on Britain’s beaches and rivers, conducted by environmental consultancy Eunomia Research & Consulting, featuring more than 45,000 volunteers during SAS’s recent Big Spring Beach Clean series.

14        Electric Vehicle Adoption Overshadowed By SUV Boom
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Electric-Vehicle-Adoption-Overshadowed-By-SUV-Boom.html

There are now 200 million SUVs on the roads globally, up from 35 million in 2010, according to data the International Energy Agency (IEA). In fact, 60 percent of the increase of the global vehicle fleet since 2010 came from SUVs.

15        Ships are illegally dumping plastic trash at sea, study suggests
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/sea-litter-ships-bottles-1.5318390
Thousands of plastic drink bottles are washing up on a remote, uninhabited island in the South Atlantic, and researchers say they’re evidence of illegal dumping from cargo ships.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 34

Friday, October 18, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 34

1          3 Concepts Defining the Future of Work: Data, Decentralisation and Automation
https://datafloq.com/read/3-concepts-defining-future-of-work/7051
The organisation of tomorrow will look fundamentally different than today’s organisation. Those enterprises that are aware of the upcoming changes can best prepare and achieve competitive advantage in a data-driven society

2          How Artificial Intelligence(AI) Will Impact Your Life in the 2020s
https://datafloq.com/read/artificial-intelligenceai-impact-life-2020/7041
As technology advances, more AI designs are expected. In the 2020s, we are bound to feel the AI-driven changes in the way we live and interact with the world. AI is expected to play a significant role in changing our lives in many ways.

3          Winning with AI
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/winning-with-ai/

AI promises rewards but also comes with risks ― namely, that competitors figure out how to successfully use it before you do. This year’s 2019 MIT SMR-BCG Artificial Intelligence Global Executive Study and Research Report shows early AI winners are focused on organization-wide alignment, investment, and integration.

4          How to get your sales representatives and marketing teams to work together
https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/sales-representatives-marketing-teams-working-together/

In most companies, marketing and sales teams don’t collaborate very efficiently. But that shouldn’t be the case. After all, they’re both trying to help the company grow, right? The only difference is that they try to achieve this goal in different ways. While your marketing team tries to raise awareness about your brand and generate leads, your sales team aims to close deals.

5          Digital Marketing News
https://www.toprankblog.com/2019/10/digital-marketing-news-101819/

Social media ad-spend to surpass print for first time
Ad spending in 2019 will for the first time see social media topping print, with global spending growth up 20 percent increasing to $84 billion, according to recently-released forecast data from Zenith.

6          How to Easily Deploy Machine Learning Models Using Flask
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/10/easily-deploy-machine-learning-models-using-flask.html
When a data scientist/machine learning engineer develops a machine learning model using Scikit-Learn, TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch etc, the ultimate goal is to make it available in production. Often times when working on a machine learning project, we focus a lot on Exploratory Data Analysis(EDA), Feature Engineering, tweaking with hyper-parameters etc. But we tend to forget our main goal, which is to extract real value from the model predictions.

7          The 5 Classification Evaluation Metrics Every Data Scientist Must Know
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/10/5-classification-evaluation-metrics-every-data-scientist-must-know.html

What do we want to optimize for? Most of the businesses fail to answer this simple question. Every business problem is a little different, and it should be optimized differently. We all have created classification models. A lot of time we try to increase evaluate our models on accuracy. But do we really want accuracy as a metric of our model performance?

8          The Undeniable Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Forex Market
https://datafloq.com/read/impact-artificial-intelligence-forex-market/7018

There’s been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence (AI) lately, and it’s become a bit of a buzzword in some circles. However, as much as that’s true, it’s also hard to deny the impact of this technology on the modern world, and its very noticeable effects in some specific sectors. Finances have always had a deep link to AI, and we’ve started to see the full potential of that in recent years. And we’re likely just seeing a small fraction of what’s possible too, so it will be very interesting to see how things progress into the future.

9          6 Ways to Supercharge Your ABM with Intent Data
https://www.business2community.com/strategy/6-ways-to-supercharge-your-abm-with-intent-data-02249250

According to a recent report from TOPO, more than 80% of B2B organizations are operating account-based marketing (ABM) programs. It’s clear ABM is no longer a buzzword, but central to the success of B2B marketing engines. And a major key to ABM success is knowing which accounts you should inject resources into, as well as those to pump the brakes on.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 33

Friday, October 11, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 33

1              World Chemical Outlook 2019: Around the globe
https://cen.acs.org/business/World-Chemical-Outlook-2019-Around-the-globe/97/i2

Economists writing about 2018 already sound a bit wistful. Last year, the global economy grew 3.7%, according to the International Monetary Fund, and the US enjoyed an extraordinary time of growth and job creation. But this year, growth in the US is expected to slow to 2.5%, down from 3.5% in 2018. The story is the same for other advanced economies, according to IMF projections. And China’s growth rate will continue falling back to earth, moving to 6.2% from 6.6%.

2              Tables have turned
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/tables-have-turned/
As investments in tight oil increased from 2016 to 2018 and offshore investments decreased, tight oil investments almost reached the same level as offshore in 2018. However, in 2019 the table has turned. Now offshore investments are on the rise again, while tight oil has started to decline.

3              Oilfield Services Eyeing Survival Tactics in Weak US Market
https://www.rigzone.com/news/oilfield_services_eyeing_survival_tactics_in_weak_us_market-11-oct-2019-160033-article/

Last time crude prices crashed, E&P companies cut operations and investment, with knock-on effects on oilfield service contractors, many of whom reduced headcount, went bankrupt or merged. Once again, history is repeating itself. Baker Hughes September U.S. rig count saw just 898 active rigs, a reduction of 150 from this time last year.

4              EIA Sharply Cuts Oil Price Forecast
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/EIA-Sharply-Cuts-Oil-Price-Forecast.html

The EIA has revised downward again its oil price forecast in  October’s Short Term Energy Outlook  (STEO), shaving another $5 per barrel off its forecast compared to last month’s STEO.

5              Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Prices Rise on Tanker Attack, but Need Positive Trade News to Continue Rally
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-prices-rise-on-tanker-attack-but-need-positive-trade-news-to-continue-rally-605506

Crude oil is also being underpinned by optimism over U.S.-China trade relations. President Donald Trump said he’s meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Friday, fueling optimism about a positive outcome from this week’s high-level trade talks.

6              Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-favorable-weather-indicates-further-downside-pressure-605534

The long-range weather models have started to converge a little, but neither shows early-season cold lingering around for more than a few days in the major demand areas. With all overnight weather models indicating a little lost demand for the coming 15-day forecast, rallies are likely to be capped.

7              Weekly resin report: Spot PE resin offers good buying opportunities
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-spot-pe-resin-offers-good-buying-opportunities/157805332561655

October got off to a slow start in the spot resin markets, but activity did creep up as the week wore on, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update. While spot liquidity generally remained ample, fresh resin offers were on the lighter side as suppliers sought to edge spot prices higher.

8              Largest Oil Traders: Oil Prices Aren’t Going Anywhere
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Largest-Oil-Traders-Oil-Prices-Arent-Going-Anywhere.html
Oil prices are not going anywhere, at least until this time next year. Brent Crude  will still trade range-bound in the $50s a year from now, the heads of the world’s largest independent oil and commodity trading groups said on Wednesday.

9              America’s petrochemicals outlook, w/c October 7-Industry Global News24
https://www.industryglobalnews24.com/americas-petrochemicals-outlook-wc-october-7
September synthetic resin contracts are finalized in the week. whereas some trade sources were within the method of sinking contracts for September most trade participants have said September was up by 3 cents/lb. Moreover, producers have lowered their October increment targets from 8 cents/lb to 4 cents/lb.

10           Back to business as usual
https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2019/october/omr-back-to-business-as-usual.html

Oil markets in September withstood a textbook case of a large-scale supply disruption as the attacks on Saudi Arabia temporarily affected about 5.7 mb/d of crude production capacity. On Monday 16 September, the first trading day following the attacks, after an initial spike to $71/bbl Brent prices fell back as it became clear that the damage, although serious, would not cause long-lasting disruption to markets.

11           VLGC rates near 4-year high amid global moves to diversify LPG supply sources
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/shipping/101019-vlgc-rates-near-4-year-high-amid-global-moves-to-diversify-lpg-supply-sources

Very Large Gas Carrier rates on the key Middle East-Japan route have touched near four-month highs around $79/mt this week and looked poised to surpass $80/mt for the first time since October 2015 as more ships head to North America and Northeast Europe to lift LPG amid Saudi supply concerns and growing demand in Asia, traders said.

12           Big Oil Tries To Buy Back Investors
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Big-Oil-Tries-To-Buy-Back-Investors.html
Major oil companies have recently raised their guidance for dividend payouts, promising shareholders handsome returns at a time when a growing number of investors are questioning the future of oil and snub energy stocks.

13           Analysis: Vietnam emerges as polymer hub amid trade war
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1990392-analysis-vietnam-emerges-as-polymer-hub-amid-trade-war

Vietnam is positioning itself as southeast Asia’s top polymer hub as it indirectly benefits from the US-China trade war. The trade war has created two positive spillovers for Vietnam, through the increased availability of cheaper US-origin cargoes and the emergence of new conversion investment from China.

14           Short-Term Energy Outlook – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/
Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $59 per barrel (b) in August, down $5/b from July and $13/b lower than the average from August of last year. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $60/b in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $62/b in 2020. EIA forecasts that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices will average $5.50/b less than Brent prices in 2020.