September 1, 2015
By Gareth McGraph
SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- Unemployment rates in July (click here) continued to fall in the Cape Fear region when compared to the same time last year, although the jobless figures showed a slight uptick in all three local counties and in the Wilmington-metro area compared to June.
By Gareth McGraph
SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- Unemployment rates in July (click here) continued to fall in the Cape Fear region when compared to the same time last year, although the jobless figures showed a slight uptick in all three local counties and in the Wilmington-metro area compared to June.
Most economists prefer
the year-over-year numbers as a better barometer of a region's economic
health since monthly figures are unadjusted for seasonal variations,
such as students looking for summer jobs or hiring spikes for the pre-Christmas shopping rush.
The
figures released by the N.C. Department of Commerce on Tuesday show the
region's improving jobs picture mirroring what's happening across the
state and the country, where unemployment rates have by and large been
falling since 2010 -- although there are pockets in the U.S. where
specific economic conditions are causing job losses, such as across the
nation's oil and gas drilling belt....
With Russia taking a greater role in Middle East conflicts it creates a demand for oil. There is no doubt Russia will supply their partners with oil and improve revenues with it.
2 September 2015
St.Petersburg and Novorossisk faced a challenging August, (click here) with their bunker fuel prices falling to six-month lows due to weakening crude prices, ruble/dollar exchange volatility, and increasing competition from rival ports and local suppliers.
ST. PETERSBURG REVERSE OF TREND
"St. Petersburg prices are under pressure because oil is falling, ruble [to dollar] is weak and many suppliers are with a lot of product," a source said.
Small suppliers might stay away from -- or be forced out of -- the market if the low price environment continues, making it difficult to execute profitable deals, a local supplier said.
St. Petersburg was competing with Rotterdam for fixing volumes in both 380 CST high sulfur fuel oil and marine gasoil for the majority of the year. The MGO in the Russian port was on a constant discount to Rotterdam since late May and was losing volumes.
Nevertheless, in mid-August the spread between the two ports was reversed as St. Petersburg suppliers drastically lowered their prices, assisted by the weakening ruble/dollar exchange....
With Russia taking a greater role in Middle East conflicts it creates a demand for oil. There is no doubt Russia will supply their partners with oil and improve revenues with it.
2 September 2015
St.Petersburg and Novorossisk faced a challenging August, (click here) with their bunker fuel prices falling to six-month lows due to weakening crude prices, ruble/dollar exchange volatility, and increasing competition from rival ports and local suppliers.
ST. PETERSBURG REVERSE OF TREND
"St. Petersburg prices are under pressure because oil is falling, ruble [to dollar] is weak and many suppliers are with a lot of product," a source said.
Small suppliers might stay away from -- or be forced out of -- the market if the low price environment continues, making it difficult to execute profitable deals, a local supplier said.
St. Petersburg was competing with Rotterdam for fixing volumes in both 380 CST high sulfur fuel oil and marine gasoil for the majority of the year. The MGO in the Russian port was on a constant discount to Rotterdam since late May and was losing volumes.
Nevertheless, in mid-August the spread between the two ports was reversed as St. Petersburg suppliers drastically lowered their prices, assisted by the weakening ruble/dollar exchange....
