New ISO 8217 eyes wider scope for alternative fuels

: Biofuels, Oil products
24/04/24

The 7th edition of ISO 8217, to be published in the second quarter of this year, will outline a broader integration of marine biodiesel blending, delegates heard at the International Bunker Conference (IBC) 2024 in Norway.

Tim Wilson, principal specialist fuels of Lloyds Register's fuel oil bunkering analysis and advisory service (FOBAS), presented on the upcoming iteration of the ISO 8217 marine fuel specification standard, which will be released at IBC 2024. The new edition will incorporate specification standards for a wide range of fatty acid methyl ester (Fame)-based marine biodiesel blends up to B100, 100pc hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), as well as synthetic and renewable marine fuels. This will also include additional clauses to cover a wider scope, and briefly touch on biodiesel specifications that do not entirely align with road biodiesel EN-14214 specifications. This follows the emergence of widening price spreads for marine biodiesel blends because of specification differences and the lack of a marine-specific standard for the blends.

The new edition of ISO 8217 is also expected to remove the limit of 7pc Fame when blended with distillate marine fuels such as marine gasoil (MGO) which was in place in the previous ISO 8217:2017. Other changes to distillate marine biodiesel blends include changes to the minimum Cetane Index, oxidation stability alignment to be connected to either ISO 15751 for blends comprising 2pc or more of Fame biodiesel and ISO 12205 for blends comprising a Fame component of under 2pc. Cold-filter plugging point (CFPP) properties will be determined by the vessel's fuel storage tanks' heating capabilities and requirements will be set in place to report the CFPP for distillate marine biodiesel grades, according to the new edition of the marine fuel specification standard.

Wilson said that a minimum kinematic viscosity at 50°C will be in place for various forms of residual bunker fuel oil along with a viscosity control alerting suppliers to inform buyers of the exact viscosity in the supplied fuel. He said they have seen delivered fuel viscosity come in at much lower levels than ordered by the buyers, which was the reasoning behind the viscosity control monitoring requirement.

By Hussein Al-Khalisy

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25/07/11

Congress resumes push to cut US shipping pollution

New York, 11 July (Argus) — US lawmakers reintroduced two bills Thursday to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Alex Padilla (D-California), along with US House of Representatives members Doris Matsui (D-California) and Kevin Mullin (D-California), reintroduced the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act, which would impose pollution fees on large ships calling at US ports. The bill targets vessels over 5,000 gross tonnes with a $150/t fee on carbon, plus fees on nitrogen oxides at $6.30/lb, sulfur dioxide at $18/lb, and fine particulate matter at $38.90/lb. Ship operators would only pay the carbon fee if no equivalent global measure from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is in place. Revenue would go toward modernizing the Jones Act fleet with low-emission ships, electrifying shipbuilding, and addressing pollution at US ports. The group also reintroduced the Clean Shipping Act of 2025, led in the House by Representatives Robert Garcia (D-California). It directs the Environmental Protection Agency to impose carbon intensity standards for marine fuels, targeting 30pc lifecycle CO2-equivalent emissions reduction from 2030, 58pc from 2034, 83pc from 2040, and 100pc from 2050. It also requires all ships at berth or anchor in US ports to emit zero emissions by 2035. The lawmakers say the proposed bills also close a major loophole. Marine shipping is largely exempt from fuel taxes unlike other transport sectors. They say the plan will also support US manufacturing and help reduce the US trade deficit. The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act is endorsed by environmental and advocacy groups including Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club and Ocean Conservancy, among others. The original bills were introduced in 2023 and expired without being enacted. The bills follow the IMO's decision in April to adopt a net-zero framework and a global carbon price proposal for shipping. The US delegation was absent from IMO's April meeting, issuing a statement that "President Trump has made it clear that the US will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the US or the interests of the American people ." By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

25/07/11

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

Adds details on crude quality issues from Mars pipeline. Washington, 11 July (Argus) — ExxonMobil will borrow up to 1mn bl of crude from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for its 522,500 b/d refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in response to a disruption to offshore supply of crude for the facility. ExxonMobil warned suppliers this week of "serious quality issues" related to elevated levels of zinc in crude supplied by the Mars pipeline, which brings crude from a series of deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico to shore, according to market sources. In letters to suppliers ExxonMobil said the crude quality issues were "... significantly affecting the operations at our Baton Rouge Refinery," and that it would stop accepting Mars crude "... in an effort to avoid further damages." The US Department of Energy said today it had approved the loan to ExxonMobil, called an exchange, to ensure a stable supply of transportation fuels in Louisiana and the US Gulf coast. The agency said the crude loan will support ExxonMobil's "restoration of refinery operations that were reduced due to an offshore supply disruption." Chevron, one of the producers that contributes crude to the Mars pipeline, said it has "identified a potential contributing source to the Mars crude composition changes, which is associated with the start-up of a new well." Chevron said it was working to resolve the matter and does not expect it to affect current production guidance. In April Chevron started production from a new deepwater field , Ballymore, which ties into the Mars system. Shell, which owns a majority stake in the Mars pipeline, did not respond to a request for comment. Mars premium to WTI falls The August Mars premium to Nymex-quality WTI has dropped nearly $1/bl in the last week. The August Argus Mars volume-weighted average assessment on Thursday was a 9¢/bl premium to the Nymex-quality WTI Cushing benchmark, nearly $1/bl lower than a week earlier. Mars averaged a 63¢/bl premium for the August trade month through Thursday, but was at a $1.40-$1.50/bl premium at the start of the trade month. The August trade month started 26 June and ends 25 July. The SPR, which consists of four underground storage sites in Texas and Louisiana, held 403mn bl of crude as of 4 July. Under the exchange announced today ExxonMobil will eventually return the borrowed crude — along with additional crude as payment for the loan — to the SPR. The SPR's Bayou Choctaw site connects to refineries in Baton Rouge through the Capline pipeline. In 2021, the Department of Energy authorized a loan of up to 3mn bl from the SPR to ExxonMobil's refinery in Baton Rouge to address disruptions related to Hurricane Ida. ExxonMobil was initially scheduled to return the crude in 2022, but that deadline has been repeatedly pushed back, most recently to require a return of the crude by March 2026. By Chris Knight, Eunice Bridges and Amanda Smith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

25/07/11

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

St Louis, 11 July (Argus) — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) today raised its projected US soybean crush for the 2025-26 marketing year following recent policy changes that are expected to increase domestic soybean oil demand for biofuel production. US soybean crush is expected to rise to a record 69.1mn metric tonnes (t) in the 2025-26 marketing year, the USDA said Friday in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (Wasde) report, up by 1.36mn t from the June report. The latest forecast marks a 5pc increase from volume projected for the 2024-25 marketing year. The higher outlook for soybean crush was driven by a substantial increase in anticipated soybean oil use for biofuel production, which the USDA places at 7.03mn t for the marketing year ahead, up by 27pc from the volume expected for the current marketing year. The increased biofuel use outlook follows US policy changes that significantly strengthen support for biofuels made from domestically produced feedstocks through changes to the 45Z biofuels tax credit and Renewable Identification Number credits generated through the Renewable Fuel Standard. The US is also proposing to require record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. With the increase in soybean crush, USDA expects domestic soybean oil production will rise to a record 13.6mn t in 2025-26, up by 4.1pc from the current marketing year. Additionally, the USDA revised higher its expectation for soybean oil imports in 2025-26 to 200,000t, up by 13pc from the current marketing year. Following an elevated export rate over the first half of the current marketing year, US soybean oil exports are projected to collapse in 2025-26, down by 73pc from the current marketing year to 318,000t. The reduction in exports, in combination with increased supply, is projected to exceed the gains in biofuel demand, increasing stocks to 758,000t by the end of the 2025-26 marketing year, up by 15pc from the inventory level projected for the end of 2024-25. Soybean meal supplies swell The jump in soybean oil demand is as also expected to result in a record level of US soybean meal production in 2025-26, up 4.5pc from 2024-25 to 54.3mn t, according to USDA. Both domestic use and exports of soybean meal are projected higher for the next marketing year following the increased supply outlook. US soybean meal exports are projected to reach 17mn t, up 7.5pc from 2024-25, while US soybean meal domestic use is projected to rise by 2.8pc to 37.9mn t. Soybean mean stocks are projected to increase as well, reaching 431,000t by the end of 2025-26, up 5.6pc from the level projected for the end of the 2024-25 marketing year. By Ryan Koory July 2025 USDA projections 2025-26 Chg from Jun 2024-25 Chg from Prior MY U.S. soybean oil supply and use ( mn t ) Supply -Beginning stocks 0.66 - 0.70 - -Production 13.59 0.27 13.06 - --Extraction ratio (pc) 19.67 0.00 19.83 - -Imports 0.20 0.07 0.18 -0.05 Total supply 14.46 0.34 13.95 -0.05 Use -Domestic disappearance 13.38 0.73 12.11 -0.14 --Biofuel 7.03 0.73 5.56 -0.39 --Food, feed and other Industrial 6.35 - 6.55 0.25 -Exports 0.32 -0.45 1.18 0.09 Total use 13.70 0.27 13.29 -0.05 -Ending stocks 0.76 0.06 0.66 - -Stocks-to-use (pc) 5.53 0.36 4.95 0.02 U.S. soybean meal supply and use ( mn t ) Supply -Beginning stocks 0.41 - 0.41 - -Production 54.30 1.04 51.98 - --Extraction ratio (pc) 78.54 -0.04 78.92 - -Imports 0.59 - 0.66 0.09 Total supply 55.29 1.04 53.05 0.09 Use -Domestic disappearance 37.90 0.41 36.85 0.09 -Exports 16.96 0.64 15.79 - Total use 54.86 1.04 52.64 0.09 -Ending stocks 0.43 - 0.41 - -Stocks-to-use (pc) 0.79 -0.02 0.78 -0.00 October-September markeing year — USDA, Argus Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada focuses on new US deadline, diversifying trade

25/07/11

Canada focuses on new US deadline, diversifying trade

Calgary, 11 July (Argus) — Canadian prime minister Mark Carney reiterated his plan to diversify trade with countries "throughout the world" following another round of tariff threats, and another deadline, from US president Donald Trump. Carney's comments on social media late on 10 July came hours after Trump said Canada could expect a 35pc tariff on all imports , effective 1 August, repeating earlier claims that the northern country was not doing enough to stop fentanyl from crossing into the US. Canada has said these claims are bogus but in late-2024 still committed to spending $900bn (C$1.3bn) on border security measures over six years. "Canada has made vital progress to stop the source of fentanyl in North America," Carney wrote on X. The prime minister said he is now working to strike a new trade deal before the 1 August deadline. Trump and Carney last month agreed they would work toward a broad trade agreement by mid-July, with Canada at the time targeting 21 July to finalize a deal. The 35pc tariff would be separate from tariffs set for specific sectors, which include a 50pc tariff on copper imports. It is not clear if any imports currently covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) would be affected by Trump's latest tariff threats. Carney has advocated the need to shore up trade partnerships with "reliable" countries since being sworn is as prime minister in March, saying the old relationship with the US "is over". The energy-rich nation needs to build more infrastructure to unlock this potential, and with a surge in public support, is trying to entice developers with a new law to fast-track project approvals . But those are multi-year efforts and Canada is still trying to reach a deal with the US to keep goods moving smoothly. The two economies are highly integrated with $762bn worth of goods crossing the US-Canada border in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Canada on 29 June rescinded a digital sales tax (DST) that would have collected revenue from the US' largest tech companies, after US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick said the tax could have been a deal breaker in trade negotiations. That show of good faith — which seemingly got nothing in return — was criticized within Canada and contrary to Carney's repeated "elbows up" mantra in the face of Trump's threats. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

IEA trims oil demand outlook on 2Q weakness: Resend

25/07/11

IEA trims oil demand outlook on 2Q weakness: Resend

removes reference to implied surplus London, 11 July (Argus) — The IEA has trimmed its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2025 by 20,000 b/d to 700,000 b/d, citing weaker-than-expected deliveries in the second quarter across several tariff-affected economies. The agency also revised down its 2026 growth outlook by the same amount, to 720,000 b/d. The updated figure for 2025 marks the slowest annual increase in demand since 2009, excluding Covid-affected 2020. The IEA said the second-quarter slowdown followed an unusually strong first quarter in the OECD, which had been boosted by colder-than-average winter weather. "Although it may be premature to attribute this slower growth to the detrimental impact of tariffs manifesting themselves in the real economy, the largest quarterly contractions occurred in countries that found themselves in the crosshairs of the tariff turmoil," the agency said, pointing to declines in China, Japan, Korea, the US and Mexico. The IEA now expects global oil demand to average 103.68mn b/d in 2025 and 104.4mn b/d in 2026. Petrochemical feedstocks — namely LPG/ethane and naphtha — will account for two-thirds of this year's growth, it said. Transport fuel demand remains under pressure in key markets such as China, where electrification and efficiency gains are weighing on gasoline use despite strong mobility indicators. On the supply side, the IEA raised its forecast for global oil supply growth in 2025 by 240,000 b/d to 2.1mn b/d, putting full-year supply at 105.1mn b/d. The upward revision reflects a faster-than-expected unwinding of Opec+ voluntary cuts, with Saudi Arabia accounting for most of the increase. Non-Opec+ producers still dominate overall growth, contributing 1.4mn b/d in 2025. By James Keates Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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New ISO 8217 eyes wider scope for alternative fuels

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USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

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Canada focuses on new US deadline, diversifying trade

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IEA trims oil demand outlook on 2Q weakness: Resend

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