Petroleum coke
Overview
Used in the manufacturing of metals, for power generation and in the production of numerous other products including glass, paint and fertilizers, petcoke is widely used. As the energy transition drives markets around the world to search for ways to reduce carbon emissions, the outlook for Petroleum coke remains uncertain.
Gain transparency into the evolving international petcoke markets with weekly and monthly prices, expert analysis and global market-moving news for fuel-grade and anode-grade petroleum coke.
Latest petroleum coke news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global petcoke industry.
Pemex petroleum coke cap could raise exporter costs
Pemex petroleum coke cap could raise exporter costs
Mexico City, 29 September (Argus) — Mexico's state-owned Pemex is offering 200,000 metric tonnes (t) of petroleum coke from its Tula refinery in two 100,000t lots, but a 25,000 t/month withdrawal cap for each transport mode could raise costs for buyers seeking to export the product. One 100,000t lot must be withdrawn by truck and the other by rail. Each lot is tied to a single withdrawal mode, and bidders cannot split a lot between truck and rail. Pemex said truck loading at the refinery operates 24 hours a day and can handle the 25,000 t/month allocation. The rail lot will be loaded at the nearby Bulkmatic terminal in Atitalaquia, in Hidalgo state, which Pemex said has sufficient siding capacity for 25,000 t/month and is served by the Kansas City Southern de Mexico railroad company. Prospective bidders questioned the withdrawal limit during the tender's clarification process. They said bulk maritime petroleum coke cargoes typically exceed 25,000t, requiring exporters to accumulate product for more than a month and increasing storage, handling and financing costs. They also said the roughly four months between the 12 October contract-signing deadline and the 12 February 2027 final withdrawal date leaves little room for operational, logistics or weather disruptions. Pemex confirmed that the 25,000 t/month withdrawal limit applies separately to each transport mode — truck and rail — while buyers must still withdraw each full 100,000t lot by 12 February 2027. The company said the product's final destination and associated costs are outside the scope of the tender, but that it would consider the recommendation for future sales. Pemex launched the competitive sale on 21 September . Commercial bids were due on 28 September, with bid opening and selection scheduled for 29 September. Contracts are expected to be signed by 12 October, with the volumes to be fully withdrawn by 12 February 2027. Pemex did not disclose current petroleum coke inventories or expected monthly Tula production when bidders requested the figures, saying only that inventory is sufficient to cover the volumes offered. By Adriana Alarcón Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US rail volumes log strong growth in August: AAR
US rail volumes log strong growth in August: AAR
Houston, 9 September (Argus) — US rail carload volumes rose in August to the highest level in nearly eight years while weekly rail traffic rose by nearly 14pc from a year earlier, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. AAR attributed the increases to resilient US consumer demand, higher US manufacturing activity, and rising diesel costs, which have made rail shipments more cost-effective compared with competing transport options such as trucks. Class I railroads shipped 533,545 carloads and intermodal units over the week ended 5 September, up by 14pc compared with the same week last year, AAR said Wednesday. Weekly non-intermodal traffic averaged more than 235,000 railcars in August, the most since October 2019 and the eighth straight year-over-year gain. Railcar growth was broad-based and stretched across 15 of the 20 carload categories that the AAR tracks. On a monthly basis, Class I railroads shipped nearly 300,000 intermodal containers and trailers per week in August, up by more than 4pc from a year earlier and besting the previous record set in June. Combined US carload and intermodal volume in August was the most in nearly eight years, AAR said without providing specifics. Metallic ore shipments posted the biggest percentage gains in August, rising by 19pc from a year earlier, followed by a 16pc increase for coke, a nearly 16pc gain for lumber and wood products and a 9.1pc increase for petroleum products. Chemicals shipments logged the seventh increase in eight months and are on a record annual pace, the AAR said, driven in part to lower US natural gas prices that have incentivized output at petrochemical and other industrial plants. Shipments of grain and coal, the two biggest categories that Class I railroads haul by volume, diverged. Grain shipments grew by 7.8pc in August from a year earlier and were up for the tenth straight month, driven by strong grain exports. Coal volumes in August fell by 2pc from year-earlier levels and were down for the sixth straight month, AAR said. Coal has become a drag on overall rail volumes after driving growth earlier in 2026. Several Class I railroads have attributed falling coal volumes to lower natural gas prices and weaker utility demand. Railed coal traffic has fallen by more than 50pc over the past 20 years but remains the single highest-volume category for most US railroads, AAR said. AAR also pointed to falling inventories of railcars in storage as another sign of strong shipping demand. Stored railcars as a share of total cars in service fell to 18.1pc in August from 21.7pc in January, and more than 59,000 railcars have been taken out of storage over that period, AAR said. By Chris Baltimore Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Turkey’s July cement exports hit multi-year high
Turkey’s July cement exports hit multi-year high
London, 4 September (Argus) — Turkey's cement exports climbed to a fresh multi-year high in July, supported by robust demand from the US and Syria, as well as stronger sales into European markets. Turkey exported 1.79mn t of cement in July, up by 2pc from a year earlier and 1pc from June, according to Global Trade Tracker (GTT). The July total was the highest since August 2022. January-July exports rose to 10.73mn t from 10.21mn t in the same period last year. The US remained Turkey's largest cement export market by far, accounting for around a third of total Turkish cement exports during the month. This was despite shipments falling by 19pc year on year and 24pc on the month to 593,000t. Exports to the US continued to lag year-earlier levels largely because of weaker construction activity and competition from lower-cost suppliers from North Africa and Asia. Syria remained the second-largest destination, despite easing from the record high of 305,000t in May. Turkish cement exports to Syria rose by 79pc year on year and 13pc from June to 246,000t in July. January-July shipments totalled 1.46mn t, more than double the same period in 2025, reflecting ongoing reconstruction activity and growing cross-border trade flows. Demand from Europe also remained firm despite concerns over the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism and anxiety about whether companies will be able to get their emissions verified in time to avoid using default emission values, which would be exceptionally expensive for Turkish cement. Exports to Italy increased to 116,000t, up by 11pc year on year, while dispatches to Bulgaria and Romania rose by 19pc and 46pc to 67,900t and 66,100t, respectively. Clinker exports drop Clinker exports eased in July from high June levels but remained above a year earlier. Turkey exported 709,000t of clinker in July, up by 5pc from a year earlier but down by 18pc on the month, according to GTT data. January-July clinker exports totalled 3.97mn t, down from 4.74mn t in the same period last year. Syria was again one of the fastest-growing clinker destinations. Exports to the country increased to 114,000t, tripling on the year and marking a 38pc increase from June. Exports to the US, typically a larger buyer of cement than clinker, rose by 67pc year on year to 65,000t. Exports to Italy, one of the largest EU buyers of clinker, fell by 30pc year on year to 77,700t. There were no shipments to Spain, another traditional buyer of Turkish clinker that had taken 55,000t in July 2025. Dispatches to Ivory Coast also fell to zero in July after the country was the largest destination over April-June. But exports to Guinea, an occasional buyer last year, reached 41,300t in July. By Alexander Makhlay Turkey clinker exports ’000t Turkey cement exports ’000t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Gulf coke qualities shift on changing crudes
US Gulf coke qualities shift on changing crudes
Washington, 2 September (Argus) — Petroleum coke quality has been shifting in the US Gulf coast market over the last few months as refineries receive a higher volume of Venezuelan and Canadian crude while certain Mideast Gulf, Latin American and West African crudes have become less available. A few refineries initially began making 4.5pc sulphur coke earlier this summer, likely because of the surge in imports of Venezuelan crude, which yields this grade when run on its own. But some of these refineries' coke sulphur content has crept up in recent weeks. Valero's 215,000 b/d St Charles refinery in Louisiana and Chevron's 365,500 b/d Pascagoula refinery in Mississippi had been producing less than 5pc sulphur coke for the past few months, but are now back above 5pc sulphur or approaching 6pc, market participants said. Some refineries that had been in the 5-6pc range are now above 6pc. It is not entirely clear what is driving the recent increase in sulphur content. US imports of Venezuelan crude have been steadily climbing since January, with US imports hitting 743,000 b/d in the first week of August, the highest weekly volume since August 2017, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration. But imports of Canadian crude — which tends to make higher sulphur coke — were up by 4pc and 6pc, respectively, in July and the first three weeks of August compared with June levels. Reductions in crude from the Mideast Gulf, South America, West Africa and possibly some domestic light sweet crudes may also have contributed to the rise in sulphur. Vanadium levels increase Chinese market participants have also noticed an increase in vanadium content at some US Gulf coke, which they attribute to the increase in Venezuelan crude. "The US is using Venezuelan oil now and all US-origin coke's vanadium content is increasing," one Chinese trader said. A US-based trader agreed, saying vanadium levels were "... going up everywhere." The Chinese trader said that coke from Motiva's 640,500 b/d Port Arthur, Texas, refinery's DCU 1, which typically produces coke that can be used in anode blends, has recently tested at more than 1,000ppm vanadium. TotalEnergies' 238,000 b/d Port Arthur refinery's coke has recently had about 1,500ppm vanadium, up from 1,300ppm for a cargo that arrived in China in June, another trader said. Valero St Charles' vanadium is now also above 1,000ppm. Some midcontinent anode-grade coke-producing refineries have also seen increases in vanadium over the past year, which is more likely because of higher Canadian crude runs, one market source said. US Gulf Venezuelan runs to continue rising The US plans to continue to increase the use of Venezuelan crude in its refineries in the coming years. Chevron has agreed to spend more than $7bn over the next five years to double its production from Venezuela . And US president Donald Trump announced on 28 August that the US will take "majority control" of 65bn bl of Venezuela's oil reserves in partnership with unnamed private companies. Venezuelan acting-president Delcy Rodriguez on 29 August confirmed a plan to give the US a stake in about 20pc of Venezuela's oil reserves to help boost output by 1.5mn b/d. But US opposition party leaders say they plan to scrutinize the deal if they take power next year. By Lauren Masterson US Venezuelan crude imports, 4-Week Avg ’000 b/d US crude imports by origin mn b/d Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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