It’s been just over a week since I’ve been back from Miami for the Argus Americas LPG Summit ‘Opportunities in the Export Markets’. The weather was fantastic – beautiful blue skies and warm 76 degree days – definitely a plus from my current paradigm of watching white fluffy snowflakes coat my lawn in Raleigh as they makes a surprise visit this mid-February. The conference was a fantastic event with a great combination of insightful speakers and interesting attendees from around the world, all together discussing this very ‘now-topic’ in a fabulous venue.
The tone of the conference was very upbeat on the opportunities for LPG, which was a refreshing turn of events from many of the conferences I have attended over the last few years – where the commodity price was either too high, too low, not enough, or too dirty. Speakers explored NGL economics, NGL infrastructure and varying export solutions from the US to international markets. Naturally Ohio’s Marcellus and Utica shale were very much in the spotlight – with a focus on the shale plays and their long-term effect on supply, demand, pricing and US export opportunities.
It was also refreshing to be in a venue where truly international economics were at play. Such a varied audience; with representatives from around the world: Panama, Norway, Venezuela, Spain, Korea, China, Kuwait, and of course, a nice mix of fellow Canadians and Americans. We collectively engaged in discussions exploring arbitrage opportunities in international markets and demand for LPG, with a focus on Asia, Latin America and Europe. A common reference in the conference was the expansion to the Panama Canal – expected in 2015 – which will double its capacity and have a significant role in changing the economics of LPG shipping costs.
It was great to be recognized as a partner in such a rich conference; we thank Argus Media for the opportunity to be involved in this event. A few of our clients were also present; and ZE is excited to continue to be involved in providing the tools to the industry to maximize the ability to analyze the LPG markets (among many other commodities!) and market discovery – through data management, data analysis and reporting.
Many of the participants were also interested in exploring the ZEMA Dodd Frank Solution, which facilitates compliance of Dodd Frank reporting requirements.
I look forward to continuing the dialogue with those of you that I met regarding ZEMA. If we didn’t have the opportunity to connect and you are interested – please feel free to contact me at manal@ze.com. And of course if you weren’t in Miami and are interested to talk, you can reach out to me at the above address also.
Looking forward to seeing you again, where ever our paths may cross.