Bitumen / Asphalt
Overview
Global bitumen and asphalt spot prices are influenced by changing supply and demand fundamentals, VGO and crude prices. Argus is the only provider of global bitumen and asphalt spot prices assessed by a global team of reporters, based on market trade. Spot price coverage includes regional truck, rail and seaborne prices.
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Asphalt tank fails in South Houston
Asphalt tank fails in South Houston
Houston, 29 April (Argus) — An asphalt tank ruptured on Wednesday afternoon at a Martin Asphalt facility in the city of South Houston, Texas, resulting in one fatality. Video from the scene by a local television news station showed a partially collapsed tank and liquid asphalt flooding a large part of the facility as well as flowing out of the grounds and over a nearby road. The Houston Fire Department's Public Information Office confirmed the rupture resulted in a fatality. The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office reported the incident and noted the possible fatality at 4:36pm via a post on X. The South Houston Fire Department as well as Houston Fire Department hazmat and rescue units responded to the scene. Martin Asphalt did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company produces asphalt for paving and roofing applications, along with numerous specialty asphalt blends. By Angelina Contreras Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
N African bitumen buyers look west for supply
N African bitumen buyers look west for supply
London, 29 April (Argus) — North African bitumen buyers swung away from Greek supply and instead bought more Spanish and Italian product, which was often cheaper and more plentiful, particularly in the first quarter of this year. North African imports of Greek bitumen totalled 65,000t in the first quarter, compared with 164,000t in the same period of 2025, Kpler data shows. Imports from Greece also fell significantly in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the western Mediterranean becoming the primary import option for north African contractors. After the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and following the blockade of the strait of Hormuz, market participants in Algeria and Morocco anticipated significantly tightened supply out of Greece. Exports out of Greek refineries, particularly Motor Oil Hellas' (MOH) 180,000 b/d Agioi Theodoroi plant, remain short in supply with feedstock crude cargoes held up in the strait of Hormuz. The refinery regularly imports bitumen-rich crude such as Iraqi Basrah. Meanwhile, exports from Helleniq Energy's 140,000 b/d Aspropyrgos refinery have been less appealing to north African buyer. Any shift to Aspropyrgos is difficult after prolonged maintenance cut production. The work, originally planned for February-March, is now scheduled to end in early May. In addition to this, contractors in Algeria and Morocco were already sitting on surplus stocks accumulated over the fourth quarter of 2025. This allowed them to back off from new, more expensive deals out of the eastern Mediterranean after the Iran war sent high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) and crude prices soaring. Both Spanish Repsol-Asesa joint owned 180,000 b/d Tarragona and Italian Sonatrach-owned 198,000 b/d Augusta refineries were able to offer cargoes at lower values. In the first quarter, Spanish and Italian exports to north Africa totalled 31,000t and 122,000t, respectively. Algeria, which had not imported Spanish cargoes since 2023, briefly resumed such imports owing to weaker cargo values offered. Spain's Repsol was largely immune to price spikes as surplus cargo availability and tepid domestic demand allowed them to offer cargoes at a discount of $15-20/t to fob Mediterranean HSFO values in March, compared to closer to flat to HSFO for other Mediterranean suppliers. Looking ahead, Algerian and Moroccan bitumen demand is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Some of this demand will continue to be met by western Mediterranean refiners. Turkey's Dortyol, is now offering greater volumes after flows of product originating in Iraqi Kurdistan resumed in December. By Navneet Vyasan North African bitumen imports Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Mideast Gulf war may dent Brazil asphalt demand
Mideast Gulf war may dent Brazil asphalt demand
Sao Paulo, 22 April (Argus) — Price gains triggered by the Mideast Gulf war could temper Brazilian asphalt demand in the coming months. Some Brazilian distributors are worried that asphalt prices may extend gains, buyers may purchase less and interrupt the seasonal hike in demand that occurs once the rainy season ends in April. Values for delivered asphalt in Brazil have risen by more than 50pc since the US-Israeli war with Iran started in late February. US Gulf coast asphalt prices rose by almost 80pc, and Mediterranean values increased by nearly 60pc over the same period. Domestically produced asphalt prices in Brazil also strengthened in response to higher priced imports. Acelen and Ream, both private refineries, increased asphalt values by 25pc and 40pc in April, respectively. Petrobras hiked prices by 10-15pc on average. Buyers initially pushed back on the rapid price gains. But construction companies might be forced to absorb higher costs once paving demand kicks in after the rainy season ends. But some participants have noted weaker sales because of rapid price increases. Others reported that persistent rains, mainly in Brazil's northeast, are also preventing companies from starting their paving work, which may delay peak demand until later in the season. The regions that are showing firmer demand, on the other hand, are those where road paving has been tendered to private companies since they are more efficient than state-run entities in absorbing price increases. Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states are some examples, according to participants. Even though demand varies significantly from one region of the country to another, most distributors agree that it will strengthen ahead of the planned elections in October for governors and the nation's president, traditionally periods when civil construction programs ramp up. While some have reported concerns that demand could weaken if further price increases occur domestically, construction companies' paving contracts are expected to be carried out on schedule. Buyers may withhold purchasing imported supply until demand rises and their inventories are depleted, however. In the first quarter of the year, Brazil imported almost 66,000 metric tonnes (t) of asphalt, 30pc higher than the same period last year. More than half of it came from Turkey and 25pc came from Spain, all purchased before Mediterranean prices surged after the Israeli-US war with Iran. By Julio Viana Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Iran war drives up African bitumen truck prices
Iran war drives up African bitumen truck prices
London, 15 April (Argus) — Bitumen truck supply prices are rising sharply in key sub-Saharan Africa markets as increased in cargo and container shipped values feed through. The biggest effects have been in east and central African markets like Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the construction sectors rely on Mideast Gulf supply, mainly from Iran, of bitumen in drums, bags and bitutainers for the bulk of their road paving requirements. Prices in Nigeria and into landlocked west African markets, and in southern Africa, have also been rising steadily, or in some cases sharply, with more gains likely in the next few weeks. But sub-Saharan African suppliers say there has been little evidence so far of demand destruction, as construction companies broadly maintain their buying patterns to get project work done. A supplier of bulk and drummed bitumen into east and central Africa said ex-Mombasa, Kenya, truck prices had jumped to 150-170 Kenyan shillings/kg ($1,159-1,313/t), around 40pc up from KSh95-100/kg just prior to the 28 February start of Mideast hostilities. Ex-works Nairobi values are now KSh165-175/kg, while massive gains in diesel import prices are adding to the rising cost of delivering trucked bitumen into inland east and central African locations. The price gains have followed a rise in fob Iran bulk and drummed export values, and massive container shipping freight rate increases since war risk surcharges were imposed by leading international container shipping lines early in March. Argus assessed drummed bitumen freight rates from Bandar Abbas/Jebel Ali to Mombasa, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Djibouti at $230/t last week, compared with $90-100/t, $95-110/t and $110-120/t respectively in the last week of February. Nigerian, South African receivers hit In Nigeria, which is supplied with bulk tanker cargoes usually loaded at Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and in the Mediterranean region, truck price increases have been more modest. Some suppliers are still working through stocks at Nigerian terminals of imported cargoes loaded before the US-Israel-Iran war began. Most Nigerian prices have reached 1.35mn naira/t ($998/t) ex-works, with some indications now inching up to N1.35mn-1.4mn/t. Some local sales were being made until last week at N1.25mn/t. Domestic truck prices in February were around N1.2mn/t ex-works. Market participants expect values to rise substantially in the next few weeks, once suppliers switch to selling imported bitumen loaded after the war began. Other west African buyers have already been hit by much bigger increases. A constructor in a landlocked west African market reported a 40pc rise in April supply price versus March for bitutainer flows from Lome, Togo. Those reached $755-760/t ex-Lome terminal for pen 35/50 bitumen, plus a $150/t truck transport cost, to yield a $900-910/t delivered price range. Domestic truck prices in South Africa, with the same values applied for onward truck exports to its southern African neighbours, were assessed 1,000 rand/t higher last week at R12,500-13,000/t ($749-779/t) ex-works, compared with R10,200-10,700/t ($639-670/t) in the last week of February. Some supply prices have gone up far more dramatically this month, to around R14,500/t ($885/t) ex-works, a South African supplier said today. The sharp gains are partly linked to a halt of competitively priced bitumen tanker cargoes loaded at Mideast Gulf ports, leaving South Africa almost exclusively now dependent on Mediterranean region — mainly Turkish and Greek — cargoes that head around west Africa to deliver to Durban and Cape Town. Argus assessed Greek fob cargo prices at $605-610/t last week, up from $386/t in the week ending 27 February. With indicative freight rates added, these cargoes would land in May at around $810/t CFR Durban before port handling, trans-shipment and terminal storage costs are added. The effect on the South African road construction sector is likely to be mitigated by the upcoming southern hemisphere winter activity slowdown from May to August, which typically cuts bitumen requirements by around a half. By Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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