Road fuels
Overview
Fuels for road transportation continue to drive the refining industry. But gasoline and diesel are coming under increasing pressure from low-carbon targets being implemented around the world.
Global oversupply, new regulatory measures and rapidly increasing competition for export markets are affecting refining margins. The need for accurate insight and data is more critical than ever.
Argus road fuels coverage includes price assessments and key insights into both conventional fuels - gasoline, distillates and blending components – as well as biofuels, in each key region. Our trusted prices are delivered alongside the latest market-moving news, in-depth analysis, supply and demand dynamics, price forecasts and forward curves data.
Latest road fuels news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global road fuels industry.
Waning German products oversupply evens domestic prices
Waning German products oversupply evens domestic prices
Hamburg, 15 July (Argus) — Germany's recent refined products oversupply, particularly in the south, is waning because of higher demand and technical issues reducing availability. Price differences within the country are starting to level out. Availability of heating oil and road fuels at the Bayernoil consortium's 215,000 b/d Vohburg-Neustadt refinery in Bavaria is restricted. At least one of the refinery's stakeholders is restricting loadings of E5 and 98 Ron gasoline and will probably continue to do so until the end of July. Planned maintenance works on a reformer have reduced production. Diesel and heating oil availability for spot sale are also restricted. A unit outage is affecting the refinery's diesel throughput, and a damaged heating oil tank at Vohburg has restricted loading capabilities since June. Term contracts are unaffected. Demand has increased across the board because of lower domestic prices, after Ice gasoil futures dropped week-on-week. Traded heating oil volumes reported to Argus last week rose especially strongly, by 28pc, and fuel demand also went up. By Natalie Mueller Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spanish biodiesel demand flat in May
Spanish biodiesel demand flat in May
Barcelona, 12 July (Argus) — Spain's biodiesel consumption was flat on the month in May but down sharply on revised figures for May 2023, according to strategic reserve Cores. There is ongoing fallout from an energy ministry audit into blending compliance. Cores figures show a little over 110,000t of demand in May, very close to levels in January-April. Consumption in the first five months of the year was 545,000t, lower than a revised 715,000t in January-May 2023. The reserve made significant revisions to 2023 demand in the previous two months of data, citing a "certification audit" by the energy ministry at the end of March. It made no major revisions to 2023 data this month. Cores data show biodiesel demand for 2023 at 1.93mn t, up from an original 1.32mn t, and a blend rate of 8.9pc in volume terms, up from 6.1pc. The audit was highly critical of 2023 domestic biofuels blending, including missed obligations and payments. It said a failure to hit blending obligations meant more than €581mn ($631mn) needed to be paid. One fuels distributor has been temporarily suspended from the programme, under a resolution passed by markets regulator CNMC on 28 June. This company has been removed from the ministry's list of companies eligible to participate in the biofuels blending certification system Sicbios. It appears a significant amount of the debt owed to the ministry comes from this firm, which has been receiving imports of diesel loaded in Turkey . A further 51 companies are waiting to formalise their exit from Sicbios, the ministry said. Other problems in the system include companies that insist they have not blended biofuels but are unable to provide documentation. Others have made sales and not completed the full process, were not registered but have asked for tickets, have exceeded blending of biofuels made from first generation feedstock, or have gone out of business. By Adam Porter Spanish biodiesel demand '000t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Port Houston fully reopens, others to follow
Port Houston fully reopens, others to follow
New York, 11 July (Argus) — Port Houston fully reopened today in the wake of Hurricane Beryl after the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast Guard gave the all-clear, with other Texas ports soon to follow, according to the Greater Houston Port Bureau. "As of this morning, we are lifting all restrictions for the Houston ship channel — no more draft restrictions," port bureau president Captain Eric Carrero said. Draft restrictions remain in place at 35ft for the port of Galveston, at 30ft for Texas City, and at 36ft for Freeport, according to Carrero. Freeport is also restricted to daylight operating hours. "We are reviewing the surveys for Texas City, Galveston, and Freeport and we are hoping to lift those restrictions as well," Carrero said. The return of Port Houston to full capacity three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on 8 July will likely assuage concerns that damage to Texas ports would cut the supply of refined product shipments from the region at a time when refineries along the US Gulf coast hit 97pc utilization in the week ended 5 July, the highest rate since June 2023, according to US Energy Information Administration data. Any vessel glut that had built up outside of Port Houston is likely to clear quickly now that full operating conditions have been restored, according to vessel piloting services in the region. The port of Freeport was the closest of the Houston-area ports to Hurricane Beryl's landfall, which could explain additional caution given to the port in maintaining its daylight hours, given the larger potential for the storm to have blown obstructions into the port's waters. The reopening of Port Houston will likely help to shift additional Army Corps and Coast Guard personnel to the other Texas ports to help complete the necessary surveys and ensure that critical aids to navigation are where they should be before giving the all-clear. By Ross Griffith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Texas ports could fully reopen Thursday: Pilots
Texas ports could fully reopen Thursday: Pilots
New York, 10 July (Argus) — Major Texas ports are likely to rescind draft restrictions and begin operating at full capacity Thursday with port facility damage limited and shipping channels free of significant blockages following Hurricane Beryl, according to vessel piloting services. The US Coast Guard authorized most Texas ports to open for daylight hours only starting today , with 30 ft draft restrictions in the port of Houston and 35 ft in the ports of Galveston and Texas City. But with "no major obstructions" being found in the channels and final surveys by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Coast Guard expected soon, those restrictions may be lifted by the end of day Wednesday, according to Galtex Pilots director of operations Erik Stramblad. The restrictions slowed vessels traffic in and out of the port of Houston to about 66pc of the "typical count of 55-60 vessels daily", according to Houston Pilots Association chief operating officer JJ Plunkett. "We're working with the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers to get their final surveys," Plunkett said. "Tomorrow [the port of Houston] will probably have a deeper draft." The resulting buildup of vessels around Texas ports is likely to clear quickly once normal operations resume, according to Stramblad. "The number of vessels waiting is about the same [as usual]," Stramblad said. "It's only been a couple of days [of downtime]. It tends to clear itself up quickly once we have the full draft back." Some private terminals within the ports of Texas City and Galveston need to provide their own status assessments before operations can fully resume, Stramblad said. "Nobody wants to hit something that shouldn't be there," Stramblad said. Ship-to-ship transfers of crude, refined products and other commodities resumed off the Texas coast on Tuesday. At least two charterers today sought Suezmax tankers for crude lighterings in the US Gulf coast from 12 July. By Ross Griffith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
AdBlue Market Outlook
In this concise market insight paper, Argus reviews AdBlue consumption and demand forecast to 2035 including by vehicle type and by country and analyses regulatory landscape as well as AdBlue market competitiveness.
Podcast - 24/06/24Driving Discussions: Musings from Mexico
Insight papers - 14/05/24CARB’s harbor craft vessels R99 initiative
California starting next year will require commercial harbor craft vessels in the state to burn renewable diesel (R99) instead of ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD), increasing their marine fuel bills. The state’s environmental agency, California Air Resource Board (CARB), expects the switch to R99 to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 30pc and particulate matter emissions by 10pc.
Explore our road fuels products
Key price assessments
Argus prices are recognised by the market as trusted and reliable indicators of the real market value. Explore some of our most widely used and relevant price assessments.