The HC Commodities Podcast

To sign up for our HC Insider Podcast Live Event in Geneva on the evening of the 16th April please RSVP here: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/hcinsider-podcast-geneva We are discussing the Future of Switzerland as a Commodities Trading hub     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

The US Dollar has been the world’s global reserve currency since the Second World War, underpinning global trade and US dominance. However, as our guest argues, its use as a global policy tool such as in sanctions, increasing geopolitical competition and political instability at home is threatening its status. Various countries and blocs are attempting to circumvent dollar trades. Yet, perhaps, th...

You can request to sign up for Mercury Resources newsletter here: https://www.mercuryresources.com/contact-us   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

In this episode we address that very special commodity Uranium, crucial to the energy and defense industry alike. Nuclear’s role is the energy transition is increasingly recognized. But where will the needed Uranium come from in a more fragmented world? How is Uranium mined, processed and delivered to the nuclear energy plants. Where is it produced and who controls the supply chain? How is Uranium...

In this episode, Ilia Bouchouev joins to discuss his new book, ‘Virtual Barrels: Quantitative Trading in the Oil Markets”. What are virtual barrels? How has oil trading been fundamentally changed due to them? What has that meant for flat price, participants and trading strategies? The book is a comprehensive exploration of quantitative trading in the markets and introduces innovative approaches to...

At the core of commodity trading is forecasting. The last decade of low prices and low volatility has transformed into a market of high volatility and higher prices. How has that changed the nature of forecasting? What does it  mean for tools, models and skillsets. And are markets still forecastable? Our guest is Matteo Mazzoni, Director of Energy Analytics at ICIS, an independent commodity intell...

On Tuesday 27th February, HC Group and bp hosted a breakfast and networking event for women in the trading and origination community. The highlight of the morning was a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring industry leaders Carol Howle, EVP Trading & Shipping at bp and Alice Acuña, EVP Trading at CEPSA. Moderated by Laura Berger, Portfolio Director, Liquid Fuels & Chemicals at HC Group, the...

Hydrocarbons have been a key driver of geopolitics and globalization over the past century. Even in the past decade, we have seen how US shale production and China’s energy security policies have dramatically changed the world. Now, peak demand and the energy transition is set to upend decades of global policy and economics – with a huge impact on the commodity markets. Will battery metals become...

Why is it crucial to the energy transition that critical minerals that underpin it develop traded markets? What will it take to get there? And what are the challenges that this future faces - from uncertain policies, to supply chains and geopolitics? On February 22, in London, Benchmark Minerals Intelligence hosted the HC Insider Podcast in front of a live audience to discuss these questions. Our...

Sand has transformed modern civilization. It is the ubiquitous commodity; in our infrastructure, in our industry and even in our personal care products.  Yet due to its characteristics, the supply chain is fragmented, disastrous for our environment and often corrupt. And by a tragic quirk of geometry, desert sand is unusable meaning we wreck our riverbeds and oceans to acquire it. In this episode,...

CEO of Edge Petrol, Gideon Carroll joins Enco to discuss the UK's Pumpwatch Scheme proposed by the government. What is in it? And what will the impact be on consumers, fuel retailers and wholesalers? For more on Edge Petrol visit https://www.edgepetrol.com/ For more on Enco Insights visit www.encoinsights.com   For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the...

In this episode, we return to critical metals and how their fortunes are affected by the energy transition, technology and geopolitics. To tell that story we are focusing on three in particular: Neodymium, Gallium & Hafnium. Each has a key role in the modern world with demand set to grow but with challenges markets and policy makers are grappling with. Our guest is Ellie Saklatvala, Head of Non-Fe...

The energy transition requires the mobilization of vast amounts of capital. It affords huge opportunity but also risks. The technological pathways, policy support and geopolitics are uncertain and volatile. How can these risks be managed? And opportunities be captured? In this episode, we go into the world of private equity and the thinking and strategies needed to participate in the most profound...

Information has always been the lifeblood of commodities trading. Today, the sources of data that provides the information and insight have grown exponentially - as has its value. So much so that companies are viewing data as a strategic asset, transforming how they value, collect, manage, and protect it. And once that mindset is in place, it can be transformative. To understand more about this ke...

In this episode, Doomberg joins us to discuss their most recent analysis and controversial views of the oil and commodities markets. Why Peak Oil is unlikely to happen and oil will remain cheap and abundant. How US oil production has changed the energy map and the in turn its role in global security – a gap which China is planning to fill. And how China’s grip on critical minerals for the energy t...

Singapore has been a leading commodities trading hub for decades. Its strategic location, strong governance and connectivity have spurred the growth of a rich ecosystem of global trading firms in the city-state. How is Singapore navigating the changing world of commodities? Amidst deglobalization, digitalization and the energy transition, how is Singapore staying relevant and keeping ahead of the...

In this final bonus episode of Enco Insights, CEO Bill Read discusses the history of expert networks, the genesis of Enco Insights and its aims and goals. For future episodes of Enco Insights, please follow the podcast on your preferred platform.  For more information on Enco please visit www.encoinsights.com   For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the...

Our 2023 Annual Review is published and ready for download. The review contains key trend and market moves within the energy & commodities world alongside data driven analysis and editorials.  Download here or on our website:  https://www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider/market-reviews/access-annual-review-2023 For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy...

What does the future hold for the agri sector and the food our plates? And what does it mean for the sector’s participants and investors? Robert Berendes, Executive Partner of Flagship Pioneering and longtime industry executive and investors sets out his views on the paradigm shifts the sector is going through.  How has the last four years changed the sector and impacted investors? And what are th...

To start the New Year, in this episode we review the oil markets in 2023 and the likely major themes and trends in 2024. Why were forecasts for 2023 mainly wrong – 100$ oil never materializing? What were the major market, policy and geopolitical events that drove prices and what do these herald for 2024? Will the volatility continue? What are the trends in production, refining, shipping and consum...

This week battery metals expert and CEO of Benchmark Minerals Intelligence joins Enco Insights to provide a quick view on Graphite, the indispensable anode material in the energy transition.    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

The UN predicts global population will peak sometime in 2080s around 10 billion people. Companies, countries (think global social security schemes) and the commodities sector predicates forecasts on these assumptions. Yet, there is a growing body of evidence that these assumptions are far too optimistic and that not only will global population peak earlier but will subsequently decline much more r...

In this episode we review the major themes and events for the Natural Gas markets in 2023 and what that might herald for 2024. The gas markets and LNG are now the crucial global energy balancer. What happened in 2023? What were the key market, regulatory and policy actions and how did countries and participants fare? What are the key factors and milestones to look at for 2024 and beyond? Our guest...

Enco Insights is a global expert network dedicated to the energy & resources sector.  www.encoinsights.com You can find out about Zodia Markets here: https://zodiamarkets.com/about-us/#our-team 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

Global food production faces the twin challenges of meeting growing demand while achieving that both sustainably and lowering carbon emissions. In this episode we dive into what this actually means . What is the impact of agriculture on carbon emissions and how does the sector impact the environment? How are farmers, processors, traders and shippers building sustainability into practices and strat...