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Europe-Asia diesel spread widens, could prompt trade

  • Märkte: Oil products
  • 29.08.23

European diesel prices have surged in value relative to those in Asia-Pacific in the past few days, making east-west arbitrage economics look the most profitable since before the EU banned Russian diesel. This could prompt more supply to head east to west after a fallow period.

Front-month European Ice gasoil futures ended last week at a $43.99/t premium over front-month Singapore gasoil swaps, the highest since 1 February, having averaged $27.71/t in August up to that point and $17.86/t in July.

Traders had said the east-west arbitrage was closed, noting that few cargoes from east of Suez were being sold into the European spot market, but if the spread remains around the new level then offers are likely to accelerate.

The sudden widening of the Europe-Asia spread may partly reflect supply concerns in the US, after a fire in at a naphtha tank at Marathon's 596,000 b/d Garyville refinery on the Gulf coast led to a reduction in throughput. On 25 August, the day the fire broke out, US Atlantic coast Nymex diesel futures jumped to a $12.54/bl premium against front-month Ice gasoil futures, the widest in around five months. The US Gulf coast offers a source of marginal diesel supply to Europe, in competition with the Middle East and India. If less diesel were available from the US, Europe would probably likely need more from the east.

European diesel traders have pointed to increasingly tight supply in recent weeks, as the thin offers from east of Suez have coincided with a spate of unplanned downtime at Europe's refineries. This has prevented seasonal stockbuilding ahead of the upcoming autumn round of planned European plant maintenance.

A Long Range 2 (LR2) tanker to carry diesel from the Mideast Gulf to northwest Europe now costs around $42/t, higher by around $10/t since a month ago. Medium Range (MR) tankers to carry diesel from the US Gulf coast to northwest Europe cost around $22/t, little changed since a month ago after having rallied and then lapsed again in the meantime.


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