We recently hosted an exciting CPN Livestream Session with Link Data Services. During this exclusive webinar session Mike Curto, Crude Oil Broker at Link Data Services, Scott Nelson, Commercial Director at Link Data Services and Colleen Sheeren, Head of Marketing at Barchart discuss how firms can stay one step ahead of the energy market with access to Link Data Services leading coverage of domestic crude oil prices and assessments. Don’t worry if you weren’t able to attend - we’ll fill you in now.

Colleen kicked off the webinar by introducing Scott and Mike, then having them tell us a little bit about themselves before explaining Barchart’s Commodity Pricing Network (CPN). Since 2019, Barchart has partnered with numerous leading providers of commodity pricing and data across various sectors including energy, renewables, agriculture, metals, and food and beverage.

Scott and Mike then took the floor to give us a better understanding of who Link Data Services is and what they do. We learned that the firm has over 70 years of combined experience, and its reputation in the oil industry for reliability and transparency is second to none. They offer industrial clients, shipping companies, brokerages, and market observers a professional and reliable source of real-time cash price assessments for U.S. and Canadian crudes delivered to Cushing Oklahoma, and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

After learning more about Link Data Services, Colleen jumped back in to explain more about the partnership between Link Data Services and Barchart, and how individuals can benefit. By Link Data Services joining the CPN, this partnership allows a broader spectrum of market participants to view these data within Barchart’s commodity trading platform, cmdtyView. As a result, market observers are now able to run advanced analytics in order to make better decisions across the global crude oil complex.

Another way that users can access this data is through cmdtyView for Excel, Barchart’s Excel Add-in. This gives them the ability to analyze physical commodity prices, such as the pricing available from Link Data Services, as well as global fundamental data, alongside many other tools available within Microsoft Excel. Lastly, individuals can access Link Data Service’s Data through an API subscription, which would be the best option for firms looking to add this data into their own products or software.

Mike and Scott then took over to dive into the datasets available from Link Data Services. Scott starts out by explaining that they assess the physical spot pipeline market each day. This means they assess any domestic crude such as WTI, Light Louisiana Sweetened, and much more. They assess pipelines from all over the country including the Gulf Coast, the Midwest, and Cushing in Oklahoma. Although they do stay within the U.S. border, for the most part, they do assess some Canadian pipelines as well. 

Typically, this information is not readily available to the general public. It is not a transparent market and therefore, Link Data Services is trying to add that transparency. They also assess these pipelines on a forward monthly, quarterly, and calendar-year basis. This helps individuals who are trying to develop a hedging program, a forward view on equities, and more. 

Scott continued to talk about their data by explaining the methodology behind it. U.S. domestic, Rockies/Mid-continent, and Canadian crude assessments provided by Link Data Services reflect current market prices as viewed from a variety of perspectives and encompassing numerous points of reference. Link uses a systematic approach to arrive at a clear and concise assessment. Mike also chimed in to tell the audience more about the advanced analytics that powers their data sets. 
 

We then got a chance to see Link Data Services’ data in action within cmdtyView. Mike points out how useful it is to see this data not only through charts but also within quote boards and other formats. Within cmdtyView, you can access every type of crude oil that Link Data Services assesses. He also highlights the news ticker feature available in cmdtyView and points out how convenient it is to be alerted about any market news alongside your assessments.
 

Scott and Mike did a great job of showcasing all of the data available within cmdtyView and the tools available to benefit your analysis. They wrapped up their cmdtyView deep dive and finished up the webinar by facilitating an interesting Q&A. This recap only scratches the surface, so make sure to watch the full live stream here! To learn more about the data available from Link Data Services, please visit our website.