Argus launches monthly European methanol contract price

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Mar 03, 2022, 07:09 ET

LONDON, March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus has launched a European monthly methanol contract price.

Traditionally, companies have bought and sold methanol in Europe based on a price that is negotiated quarterly. The new Argus European monthly methanol contract price is able to adjust faster to changing conditions when the market is volatile. Argus will also continue to publish a European quarterly contract price for methanol.

Methanol is used to make chemicals such as formaldehyde and acetic acid, and in the transport sector as a component in vehicle fuel additives, such as MTBE and in the production of biodiesel.

This development for methanol follows other chemicals such as propylene and ethylene, which transitioned from quarterly to monthly contract pricing after the financial crash in 2008. The US uses monthly prices for methanol and the introduction of a European equivalent will help market participants manage arbitrage opportunities and assess basis risk between the two regions.

Argus chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said: "We are pleased that we have been able to work with methanol market participants to develop this new monthly contract price, so that they can better allocate resources, hedge risk and plan ahead."

The new price is part of the Argus Methanol service.

Argus contact information

London: Seana Lanigan
+44 20 7780 4200
Email Seana

Houston: Matt Oatway
+1 713 968 0000
Email Matt

Singapore: Tomoko Hashimoto
+65 6496 9960
Email Tomoko

About Argus Media

Argus is an independent media organisation with more than 1,100 staff. It is headquartered in London and has 26 offices in the world's principal commodity trading and production centres. Argus produces price assessments and analysis of international energy and other commodity markets and offers bespoke consulting services and industry-leading conferences.

Companies in 140 countries around the world use Argus data to index physical trade and as benchmarks in financial derivative markets as well as for analysis and planning purposes.

Argus was founded in 1970 and is a privately held UK-registered company. It is owned by employee shareholders, global growth equity firm General Atlantic and Hg, the specialist software and technology services investor.

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