The HC Commodities Podcast

The conflict remains in suspended animation with little concrete progress to support the more optimistic assessments of a return to normality. Commodity markets are on a knife-edge and tanks and strategic supplies are emptying. Aldo Spanjer, Head of Commodity Strategy at BNP Paribas’ Markets 360 outlines the pathways from here. Will oil be at $70 or $200? Why does gas face larger risks in a prolon...

Sulfur is a lynchpin commodity, connecting the oil and gas industry to food production and much more. Already in a structural supply deficit, now, nearly half the world’s internationally traded sulfur is off the market with the shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz. There is no clear line of sight as to how quickly supply could return with potentially catastrophic consequences for the world. What...

The dark fleet was on the ropes with enforcement risking military boardings after Venezuelan oil sanctions started to be lifted. Then with the attack on Iran, business started booming again as ships and traders navigated the granting of licenses to Russian and Iranian Oil (for a time). Where are oil sanctions right now? What do they mean for traders and banks - especially the cost and risks? What...

Today we have Archie Hunter, journalist at Bloomberg who covers commodities, joining the show to get his take on current events, as well as the recent FT Global Commodities Summit, and compare notes on the key trends that we're seeing. How the current volatility is driving trading house earnings and how too much volatility might cause some challenges but certainly is driving continued consolidatio...

Doomberg returns. The US is mired in a war that it, nor its allies, can afford to escalate. Exposing the fragility of the global economic order, underpinned by delicate energy infrastructure. China, long planning for that fragility, is strengthened and Russia is looking cornered and more dangerous as Ukraine attacks its energy infrastructure. OPEC is shattering. For Doomberg, World War 3 is very m...

In this episode, host of the HC Commodities Podcast, Paul Chapman, shares his notes and reflections from the FT Global Commodities Summit, which he just attended in Lausanne, Switzerland. Drawing on panel discussions, on‑stage debates and informal conversations across the event, Paul explores the themes shaping today’s commodities markets across energy, metals and agriculture. From shifting supply...

Register your interest for Bloomberg and HC Group's metals trading event: https://go.bloomberg.com/join/invite/metals-pricing-the-narrative-vs-pricing-the-physical/ Access HC Group’s Q1 Market Review: https://www.hcgroup.global/insights/market-reviews/access-q1-market-review-2026 Register for HC Talent Intelligence's Energy Trading Salary Report: https://www.hcgroup.global/reports For related cont...

Today, we return to the European energy markets, in particular, power. How has European power demand fared since COVID and Russia's invasion of Ukraine? What has that done to power markets themselves and the energy mix? Just as European power demand was starting to pick back up, has Israel and the US's attack on Iran upended it? And what has all this volatility meant for power traders and European...

Tungsten is vital to military hardware and industry, including oil drilling. Yet, prices have risen tenfold in the last year, threatening both. This is a story of China's production capture, now wielded as an economic weapon. What is Tungsten, how is it mined and made, and how did we end up here? And what does it mean for the West? Our guest is William Parry-Jones, founder of Wolfram Advisory, a c...

In Episode 300, we take two metals - copper and gold - and compare and contrast their price journey. How does the physical supply and demand story compare to the investor narrative that drove prices to an all-time high? And how has the conflict in Iran test or confirm that narrative. In other words, to coin a term, have we seen the “goldification”of copper and other metals? Our guest is Grant Spor...

As the Iran War entered its fourth week, Houston hosted S&P Global's CERA Week. Where leaders from across the energy & natural resources sector mingle with policy wonks and senior government officials from around the world. This CERA Week was as noticeable for its last minute absences, doom-scrolling, braves faces and some swagger both from big oil and big clean tech. Nick Kumbleben of Greenmantle...

500 years ago another group of commodities flowed through the Strait of Hormuz, making those that controlled that vital trade route fabulously wealthy. Those commodities were the spices: nutmeg and cloves. Grown only in two tiny islands in modern day Indonesia and the Philippines, they were worth their weight in gold. Then in 1512 the Portuguese upended that global trade and in so doing created th...

We have moved beyond the duration discussion. The damage has been done and the oil markets will not return to the ante-bellum state any time soon if ever. What happens when financial markets - both for oil and more broadly catch up to the physical reality? Molecule Contagion as our guest for this special episode Jeff Currie of Carlyle puts in. The revenge of the old economy just got teeth and the...

With the Strait of Hormuz virtually closed, what does that mean for the regions biggest customer - Asia? Tom Reed, VP of Crude and Products at Argus Media joins us to provide a detailed examination on the impact of Israel and the US's joint attack on Iran on crude and product flows from the region. What were the flows prior to the attack? What has it meant for traders, contracts and customers? Is...

Returning today to discuss the latest developments from Israel & US's war with Iran is Nick Kumleben, Director at Greenmantle, the geopolitical risk advisory firm. What are the commodities markets telling us about duration? What are the incentive structures in place? How are traders faring in this period of extraordinary volatility? Is the US Treasury trading and how rumor and innuendo are driving...

Today,  we return to US domestic energy supply and private equity. The vibrancy of private capital markets launched the shale revolution and is now unlocking key bottlenecks in infrastructure as the US looks to meet the world’s demand for LNG and domestic AI. Where is shale production today?  Are rumors of its demise overstated? Where is demand headed, particularly for natural gas? And how is priv...

Nick Kumleben, Director of the Geopolitical Risk Consultancy founded by Niall Ferguson, Greenmantle, rejoins us to discuss the latest events in Middle East. What are the short, medium and long-term consequences of Israel and the US's joint attack on global trade and commodities. What are some non-linear effects and why ultimately duration is key. For related content and to find out more about HC G...

Today, we discuss how volatility and battery energy storage systems are reshaping clean energy and repairing power markets. What does the domination of clean power do to markets? What are the consequences both for power purchase agreements, battery storage and traders? What are the nuances in different regulatory regimes? How is Europe diverging from the US, and what has happened to the green prem...

Today, we review energy supply and demand and some of the key sentiments coming out of International Energy Week, not only about where both those curves are headed, but also key associated risks to each. Are our assumptions correct about energy demand in the world of AI? Are our assumptions correct around development curves, especially in the Global South? Is there a hydrocarbon glut out there? An...

AI is already changing commodity trading operating models. And unlocking adjacent technologies such as digital assets and DeFI? That itself is changing the competitive landscape and attracting new participants from outside the sector. Where is that investment going? And how profound is this change going to be? And how quickly is it going to be upon us? Our guest is Eren Zekioglu. Eren has spent a...

Food, fuel, geopolitics, great power competition and trade - Soybeans sit at the heart of it all. What are the big macro trends with the commodity? How has trade and geopolitics impacted it? How has new drugs like GLPs impacted it? And what is the outlook? Joining us once again is Walter Cronin, President and Co-Founder of White River Nutrition, a US soy processing company based in Nebraska, which...

Today, we discuss the importance of energy, what the growing demand for energy means, and how hard it can be to deliver that energy. To demonstrate that, we are using Texas as a microcosm. Texas produces the greatest amount of energy in the US.  Its mix of energy spans renewables, nuclear, natural gas, coal, and yet its citizens pay some of the highest prices in the Southern States. At the same ti...

Gold, copper and silver have gone parabolic. The dollar is falling. And yet, hydrocarbons remain at an inflation adjusted all-time lows. Is the world being complacent due to the narrative of the oil glut, food glut, and natural gas glut. However, as our guest Jeff Currie says "if you have to scrape the data for evidence of a glut, perhaps there isn't one" Are we headed for a great repricing? Are w...

https://interactive.hcgroup.global/annual-review-2025-26/full-view.html For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

What drives global natural gas prices more: power politics or supply and demand? In this episode, we discuss the geo-politicization of natural gas and the challenge that presents to traders and investors alike. Why was 2025 such a difficult year for traders? And what are the most consequential stories in natural gas for 2026? H Returning to the show is Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Global Research Scholar...