Published on Monday, August 27 2018
Authors: Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers

By Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers We’ve written a lot about the “shale boom” and how that, along with other factors, has increased the competitiveness of the U.S. refining industry.  Taken together, these major developments have significantly altered the supply/demand balance and trade flows of both crude and refining products…

Published on Monday, August 20 2018
Authors: Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers

By Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers Back in early April, we blogged of the Eagles song, “The Sad Cafe,” in recognition of an announcement by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt scrapping the 2022-2025 fuel economy standards for light duty vehicles. Since that announcement has moved in the form of a proposed…

Published on Tuesday, August 14 2018
Authors: Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers

By Elizabeth Hilbourn and John Auers The 1966 song by Johnny Rivers, “Secret Agent Man” is a lot like the U.S. alternative fuels market in that whether they will live to see tomorrow depends on the support of the government.  Certainly the major part of that support comes through the…

Published on Tuesday, August 7 2018
Authors: John Mayes and John Auers

By John Mayes and John Auers Driven by decades of massive investments in coking and hydrotreating expansions, the U.S. Gulf Coast consumes a large percentage of the global heavy crude output.  The investment was driven in turn by the rapid growth in production of this type of crude in the…