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.
Latest bitumen / asphalt news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global bitumen and asphalt industry.
Helleniq offers Dec bitumen cargoes, Greek supply jumps
Helleniq offers Dec bitumen cargoes, Greek supply jumps
London, 20 November (Argus) — Greek refinery producer Helleniq Energy has issued a tender to sell four bitumen cargoes for December loading dates from its 146,500 b/d Aspropyrgos refinery. The tender, in which Helleniq has offered 4,000t cargoes for 9-11, 13-15, 18-20 and 27-29 loading dates at Aspropyrgos, closed today and is expected to be awarded by close of business, market participants said. Helleniq has this year exported 250,000t of bitumen cargoes from Aspropyrgos, its key bitumen-producing refinery, up sharply from last year's 157,000t total, according to Kpler data. Greek refinery suppliers have stepped up this year to boost flows into north African, Black Sea and other destinations as Spanish and Italian export availability has been tight. Motor Oil Hellas (MOH) cargo exports have already reached 1.2mn t this year, rising to 139,000t so far in November, which is already the highest monthly volume this year, according to Kpler data. This year's total so far is up from 828,000t in the whole of 2024, which was well down from 1.2mn t in 2023, partly because of a fire in September last year that halted one of two crude distillation units (CDU) at MOH's 180,000 b/d refinery at Agioi Theodoroi, Corinth, for nearly a year. MOH was able to gradually replace much of the lost bitumen production with imports of mainly Iraqi straight-run fuel oil, while its bitumen production since the CDU's early August restart has surged, trading and supply firms said, with especially high volumes produced in October and November. That is partly in response to tighter than anticipated regional supply, especially because of prolonged maintenance work at the 198,000 b/d Sonatrach refinery at Augusta, Sicily, where work had been due to run from late September until the end of October. The extended halt, now expected by some regional bitumen players to last until early December, has severely restricted bitumen cargo supply from the facility, especially to Algeria, the leading regional cargo importer. Spanish export availability has been tightened mainly by strong domestic construction sector activity and demand for bitumen, and by more heavy residues from the country's refineries being fed into processing units such as cokers to maximise output of motor fuels, especially diesel. Substantial volumes of competitively priced Greek trucked bitumen are also being shipped to the country's Balkan neighbours and into Romania to compensate for lack of production and supply from US sanctions-hit Lukoil and NIS refineries in Burgas, Bulgaria, and Pancevo, Serbia, respectively, as well as limited supply from Mol's 161,000 b/d Szhazhalombatta refinery in Hungary after one of its CDUs was hit by a fire last month. The race to meet cargo and truck requirements across central Europe and the Mediterranean has helped — unusually at this late stage of the consuming season before its usual winter lull — to keep bitumen cargo differentials to Mediterranean high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) stable rather than falling into sharp fob discounts, as is usual for December-loading cargoes. By Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brunsbuettel bitumen refinery still shut since Oct fire
Brunsbuettel bitumen refinery still shut since Oct fire
London, 13 November (Argus) — TotalEnergies' 18,000 b/d bitumen-focused refinery in Brunsbuettel, north Germany, remains shut five weeks after being hit by a fire, tightening northwest European cargo supply and drawing some truck volumes from eastern Germany. The facility processes heavy, bitumen-rich crude and supplies truck and cargo markets in northwest Europe and the Nordics. Market participants said the continued halt, acknowledged today by officials familiar with the refinery's operations, has helped stabilise northwest European bitumen markets that are in the latter stages of the road construction and bitumen-consuming season, causing demand declines, especially across Scandinavia and the Baltic states. There are no immediate prospects of the refinery being restarted, market participants said. Regional spot cargo surpluses, especially out of Rotterdam, had been steadily bearing down on bitumen cargo premiums to fob Rotterdam high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) barges for months, pushing assessed fob Rotterdam premiums down to $5-10/t last week, compared with $35-40/t in mid-August, as buyers have been able to meet their requirements from contractual supplies. The spot price drop reflects a lacklustre autumn seasonal bounce in paving activity and bitumen requirements before the winter low activity period. But market participants said the prolonged Brunsbuettel halt has now helped stem that decline, adding to the impact of other maintenance-related supply restrictions in Germany, most notably at Shell's 187,000 b/d Godorf refinery in western Germany that has been undergoing a major six-week turnaround since early October. Bitumen market participants have also pointed in recent weeks to supply limitations from the 230,000 b/d PCK refinery at Schwedt in northeast Germany. Most Rotterdam bitumen spot cargo market indications this week have been at fob premiums of around $10/t fob to Rotterdam HSFO values, including for December cargoes. The Brunsbuettel halt has had a knock-on effect on the German inland bitumen truck market, with market players reporting truck flows from TotalEnergies' 236,000 b/d Leuna refinery in northeast Germany to Brunsbuettel to help make up for supply shortages caused by the latter's halt. One German player witnessed as many as 30 bitumen truck loads per day being moved from Leuna to Brunsbuettel in late October/early November. Some major constructors, including in the UK, view bitumen produced at Brunsbuettel as a high quality and reliable product, making its absence more keenly felt. By Keyvan Hedvat and Navneet Vyasan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Pakistan's NRL awards November bitumen cargo
Pakistan's NRL awards November bitumen cargo
London, 4 November (Argus) — Pakistani refiner NRL has awarded a fourth bitumen cargo tender of 2025 to a Mediterranean trader, as it steps up export supplies. Trading firm BB Energy won the 5,500t bitumen sell tender for 7-10 November loading. The tender was awarded at around $400/t fob Karachi, according to market participants close to the tender. In October NRL awarded two cargoes to be loaded in that month to UAE-based trading firm Richmond Group and global trading firm Vitol at an indicated price of $420/t and $420-425/t, respectively, both fob Karachi. Domestic demand has been strong earlier this year in Pakistan with NRL offering its first bitumen bulk cargo only in September. The 6,000t pen grade 60/70 was awarded to trading firm Trafigura at $380/t fob Karachi. BB Energy could not be reached for confirmation regarding the latest tender deal. Exports from Pakistan resumed in October after a gap of nine months and totalled 9,300t, data from Vortexa show. All exports headed to South Africa, which relies on imports mostly from the Mideast Gulf, Turkey or Pakistan. South Africa's sole bitumen-producing refinery, the Sasol-Prax joint venture 107,000 b/d Natref, ceased production in September, making the country completely reliant on imports. By Keyvan Hedvat and Navneet Vyasan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Цены на битум в Павлодаре выросли
Цены на битум в Павлодаре выросли
Riga, 21 October (Argus) — Партии дорожного битума (БНД) производства Павлодарского НПЗ в октябре подорожали относительно сентября. Цены выросли на фоне активизации дорожно-строительных работ в преддверии завершения сезона, а также из-за удорожания и нестабильных отгрузок российского битума. В октябре на внутреннем рынке сохраняется стабильный спрос на БНД, сообщил отраслевой источник. Суммарный выпуск битума в Казахстане в октябре может снизиться до 122 тыс. т со 131,8 тыс. т — в сентябре, по данным участников рынка. В текущем месяце многие переработчики рассчитывают продавать битум производства Павлодарского по ценам, рекомендованным министерством энергетики. Цены на БНД в Казахстане не регулируются законодательством. Поставщики битума производства Павлодарского НПЗ намерены реализовать крупные октябрьские партии в рамках графика отгрузки, предоставленного госкомпанией Казавтожол, сообщили участники рынка. ________________ Больше ценовой информации и аналитических материалов о рынках нефти и нефтепродуктов стран Каспийского региона и Центральной Азии — в еженедельном отчете Argus Рынок Каспия . Вы можете присылать комментарии по адресу или запросить дополнительную информацию feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Группа Argus Media . Все права защищены.