From the EIA’s Toda in Energy, here:
”Crude oil prices in the Permian region have increased since the beginning of the year as two recent pipeline capacity additions reduced some of the takeaway constraints that developed in the middle of 2018. These transportation constraints had forced producers to use more expensive ways to transport crude oil, resulting in lower received prices.
The difference between the West Texas Intermediate-Midland (WTI Midland) crude oil price compared with WTI Cushing and Magellan East Houston crude oil prices began narrowing in September 2018, and they narrowed further in late January 2019. WTI Midland reflects crude oil prices in the Permian production region of western Texas and eastern New Mexico, and Magellan East Houston and WTI Cushing reflect crude oil prices at aggregation points in Houston, Texas, and Cushing, Oklahoma, respectively.”
“An extension to the Sunrise Pipeline added an estimated 120,000 barrels per day (b/d) of takeaway capacity from the Permian region in early 2019, which increased pipeline capacity to Cushing. In addition, the Seminole-Redpipeline, which had previously delivered natural gas liquids from the Permian region to the U.S. Gulf Coast, was repurposed to deliver crude oil. Seminole-Red is expected to be fully operational by April, adding an estimated 200,000 b/d of takeaway capacity….”
And, this:
“The recent changes in price spreads could also reflect takeaway constraints out of Cushing, Oklahoma, particularly during refinery maintenance season. Because many refineries in the Midwest use the Cushing crude oil storage hub for operating inventories and some refineries have reduced crude oil intake for maintenance, the overall outflow from Cushing has declined. As a result, Cushing crude oil stocks increased by 4 million barrels from the first week in February through March 15. A similar phenomenon also occurred last October.”
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