Tom Creery
Analyst · RBC Capital Markets
Thanks, Jim. For the first quarter of 2019, we ran 400,000 barrels of crude oil composed of 42% Permian and 20% WCS and black wax crude oil. Our average laid-in-crude cost was under WTI by $4.46 in the Rockies, $1.62 in the Mid-Con and $2.75 in the Southwest. In the first quarter of 2019, we started the year with high gasoline inventories and low gasoline cracks on the product side, and decreasing crude differentials on both Canadian and Permian crude oils. Over the course of the quarter, the markets have improved, and we are optimistic for the remainder of the year as product fundamentals continue improving and gasoline and distillate inventories remain at reduced levels. Gasoline inventories in the Magellan system started the year at 8.9 million barrels, and ended the quarter at 7.7 million barrels. Current inventories of gasoline are roughly 1 million barrels lower at 6.7 million barrels, well below the 5-year average. Diesel inventories were relatively static throughout the period. Days supply of gasoline and diesel in the group finished at 29 and 33 days respectively. First quarter 3-2-1 cracks in the Mid-Con were, $14.74, $19.15 in the Southwest, and $15.51 for the Rockies. Crude differentials compressed across heavy and sour slates during the first quarter. In the Canadian heavy market, first quarter differentials for WCS at Hardisty averaged $12.69, well below the average differential we saw in the fourth quarter of $39.43. Recently, we have seen this differential trade into the $13 range as the Alberta government quota system has reduced the volume of crude output. Despite mandated quotas, the levels of apportionment on the Enbridge remain high. The forward market for WCS has been widening as the market foresees incremental crude to be produced as well as the impact of IMO 2020 later in the year. We continue to be able to purchase and deliver adequate volumes of price advantaged crude from Canada to meet our refining needs. Canadian heavy and sour runs average 65,000 barrels per day at our plants in the Mid-Con and Rocky regions. We refined approximately 171,000 barrels a day of Permian crude in our refining system, composed of 106,000 barrels a day at the Navajo complex and 59,000 barrels per day delivered by the Centurion pipeline at the El Dorado refinery. Midland differentials averaged in the first quarter at $2.57, and currently we see the same differential trading at $4.16 below Cushing due to new pipeline capacity coming on later than originally expected. We anticipate this differential to remain wide into the summer months, and then revert to tighter levels later in the year as additional pipeline capacity comes on stream. First quarter consolidated refinery gross margin was $12.74 produced barrels sold, representing a 1% decrease compared to the $12.83 recorded in the first quarter of 2018. This increase was driven by compressed laid-in-crude costs in the Mid-Con and Rocky regions offset by stronger gasoline and diesel cracks in the Southwest. In the first quarter, our rent expense was $39 million. And with that, I'm going to send it over to Rich.