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アーガスでは世界各地におけるエネルギーの海上／河川輸送のフレート、パイプライン、鉄道輸送などの物流におけるデータサービスを提供しております。2020年から施行される船舶燃料の硫黄規制によって、どのような変革および構造改革がなされるのか盛んに議論されるに至っています。旧来の船舶用重油に対する需要の後退、および低硫黄軽油に対する需要の増加が予見されるなか、今後の船舶燃料がどのような方向に進んでいくのか今後の戦略立案に資する情報サービスを提供しております。

フレートサービスはタンカー、ドライバルク、ガス市場の貿易フローをカバーする３つの専用サービスで構成されています。各サービスは毎日のフレートインデックス、業界最新ニュース、市場分析、独占コンテンツを提供します。コモデティ価格と輸送コストをつなぎ、サプライチェーン全体像の把握を支援します。

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Drone strikes spread across Mideast energy sector

US military action cannot loosen Iran's grip on the strait of Hormuz, and Iranian proxies are stepping up attacks, write Haik Gugarats and Charlotte Bawol New York, 31 July (Argus) — US-Iranian clashes resumed this week after a four-day pause that the White House attributed to attempts at renewed diplomacy. But elsewhere in the Middle East, the conflict continued unabated, and even spread north beyond the Red Sea. US forces carried out heavy strikes against targets in Iran's coastal and urban areas overnight on 29-30 July, following an Iranian strike against a US base in Jordan. The US targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities, according to US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees the country's Middle East-based forces. Centcom said the strikes were in retaliation against what it called an "attempted surprise attack" on US forces on 28 July. The IRGC, in response, claimed missile strikes on US bases in Jordan and Kuwait. Meanwhile, Iranian proxies focused their strikes on the region's energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia came under drone attack from Yemen and Iraq on 25-27 July. US and Saudi forces on 28 July carried out strikes in eastern Iraq against what they described as facilities used by Iran-backed Iraqi militias. A drone strike damaged two LNG vessels in Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on 29 July, Cairo said, without assigning responsibility for the attack. President Donald Trump on 29 July described the drone strike in Damietta as "a little more of the same". He had previewed the Centcom strikes the same day by saying "we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them". Trump has gone back and forth between vowing to compel Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz by military means and teasing out a potential diplomatic outcome. The White House has not explained how Iran retains the ability to attempt or to carry out "surprise attacks" against US bases, since Trump has routinely described the country's military capacity as "obliterated". But Iran's ability to control commercial traffic through the strait of Hormuz is unlikely to be diminished by US military operations, given the effectiveness of Tehran's asymmetrical warfare tactics, analysts say. The amount of firepower that Iran needs to disrupt commercial shipping through the strait is quite small, the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) research programme director Joshua Tallis tells Argus. This makes it very difficult for the US to degrade Iranian capabilities to a point where they pose no threat to commercial shipping. "I do not believe, short of a massive ground invasion, that there is a military solution to the Iranians' ability to disrupt and coerce commercial traffic moving through the strait," Tallis says. "The only solution is ultimately a diplomatic negotiated solution." CNA is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by the US government to advise its military forces. Ends and means Using diplomatic means to reduce Iran's motivation to attack may prove easier than reducing its ability to attack. Iran has retained its ability to inflict severe damage on commercial shipping using unconventional tactics. Its asymmetric capabilities include fast attack craft, cruise missiles and drones. Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz has increasingly been concentrated along the northern lanes that Iran controls, suggesting that its attacks on commercial shipping using other routes have paid off. The northern lane was used by 88-100pc of Hormuz traffic over 20-24 July, according to data from Maritime security company Windward. All of the vessels that transited the strait on 24 July did so using the northern route, according to Windward. But commercial traffic through the strait is moving at a fraction of pre-war levels, with only 12 vessels transiting the waterway on 24 July, around 9pc of pre-war levels, Windward data show. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Saudi Arabia unveils maritime defence alliance

Singapore, 31 July (Argus) — Saudi Arabia on 30 July announced the formation of a maritime defence alliance with 13 other countries, to address shared maritime threats and protect navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting on 30 July with representatives from 43 countries, out of which 14 issued a joint statement affirming their support for the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance project, according Saudi Arabia's ministry of defence. The alliance is a defence initiative seeking to strengthen collective maritime security, protect international sea lanes, preserve freedom of navigation and global trade, and share responsibility in confronting common threats. The 14 countries include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. Participants at the meeting discussed the growing threats targeting maritime security, including attacks on vessels, energy tankers and maritime infrastructure, as well as the risks these pose to the safety of maritime navigation, global supply chain stability, and the international economy. Participants emphasised the importance of strengthening multilateral defence co-operation to deal with these threats and maintain the security of international sea lanes. The meeting also addressed the founding arrangements for the alliance, with Saudi Arabia set to serve as its founding and leading state and host its headquarters. Military planners from countries intending to join the alliance will work to complete founding procedures including finalising the charter and its reference documents, completing the organisational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms and forming the necessary frameworks and teams. Diversions and delays The Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militant group announced a ban on Saudi Arabian maritime navigation on 20 July. The group has claimed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and infrastructure since then, including on Saudi state-controlled Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, with satellite images suggesting fires at Jizan. Crude tanker movements have been disrupted as a result, especially for Saudi Arabia's exports from the Red Sea. Some tankers have abandoned planned transits through the mouth of the Red Sea and have instead turned north toward the Suez Canal, potentially adding around a month to the voyage along with higher freight costs if destined for Asian or east African markets. Tanker markets have so far viewed the announcement of the alliance as a positive development, but any immediate impact on freight rates is expected to be limited. A lasting improvement in shipping conditions would more likely stem from de-escalation efforts rather than from additional military deployments, market participants said. Until there is clear evidence of reduced regional tensions and a sustained improvement in security conditions, shipowners are likely to remain cautious and avoid transits through the region. The coalition should support sentiment, but owners would place far greater weight on any indication from the Houthis themselves that they are committed to de-escalation, a shipbroker said. Additional naval protection helps, but the missiles will still be flying, they added. For now, war-risk premiums, insurance costs and transit assessments are unlikely to change materially on the back of an announcement alone, another market participant said. By Prethika Nair and Sean Lui Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Rhine oil barge rates at record on near-impassable Kaub

Hamburg, 30 July (Argus) — Freight rates for barges carrying oil products on the Rhine have hit an all time high because low water levels have left the river's Kaub bottleneck practically impassable and have rendered limited shallow draft barge resupply uneconomical. At the start of the week, the Kaub bottleneck on the Rhine fell below the critical 30cm mark, making the route impassable for most inland barges. Shipowners said only a few specialised vessels with shallow drafts can still pass, but these are typically tied to long-term charter agreements and crews require considerable experience and detailed knowledge of the shoals around Kaub to navigate safely. The Upper Rhine and Main River are now practically cut off from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) trading hub. The same is true for Switzerland, which heavily relies on imports of oil products from ARA via the Rhine. Problems may soon extend to the Lower Rhine. Barge loading operations are at risk of being suspended at the beginning of the week ending 7 August, as a result of extremely low water levels. The water level at Duisburg is forecast to reach a historic low by the end of the current week, which would make vessel loading impossible and potentially cut the direct route from ARA to the 251,000 b/d Gelsenkirchen refinery. Barges transporting oil products or blending components to and from the refinery switch from the Rhine to the Ruhr River at Duisburg, then reach Gelsenkirchen via the Rhine-Herne Canal. If water levels at Duisburg fall as expected, loading restrictions will make such shipments uneconomical or impossible, traders said. Shipowners have been raising freight rates for shipments from ARA to destinations along the Rhine and Main since mid-June, with the pace of increases accelerating in the second week of July. Freight rates to Duisburg, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe have now reached record highs since assessments were launched in 2012 (see chart). Only rates to Cologne and Basel were higher once before, in August 2022, when low Rhine water levels coincided with maintenance at the Gelsenkirchen refinery and production issues at Austria's 193,700 b/d Schwechat refinery. When barge resupply and outbound shipments become difficult or impossible, rail transport appears to be an alternative. But traders and shipowners said there is very little spare capacity for additional rail shipments. Many market participants are seeking alternatives to barge transport at the same time, further tightening rail availability. Price gaps Severe disruption to resupply logistics and higher freight rates are causing price increases at import hubs in western Germany compared with refinery locations. Suppliers at the 310,000 b/d Miro refinery in Karlsruhe can no longer ship relevant volumes of surplus product by barge to other destinations or ARA. As a result, they are lowering prices for truck loadings of heating oil, diesel and gasoline to reduce excess inventories. The disconnect between import and refinery markets has reached almost unprecedented levels. Heating oil, diesel and gasoline in the Rhine-Main region are trading way above prices at Miro (see chart). Gasoline is increasingly difficult to source on the spot market in Rhine-Main, the Cologne region and western Germany. Many suppliers have withdrawn from the spot market, likely because low water levels are preventing adequate supplies of blending components, making normal gasoline production impossible. By Johannes Guhlke fca truck loading Rhine-Main area vs. Miro Argus Rhine freight rates from ARA to Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Iran attacks US bases in Middle East: Centcom

Washington, 28 July (Argus) — Iran launched an apparent surprise attack against US bases across the Middle East at 21:45 GMT on Tuesday, according to the US Central Command (Centcom). The US military intercepted all incoming missiles launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said Centcom, which oversees the Middle East-based US forces. Official Iranian sources did not immediately confirm the attack or provide an explanation. US and Iranian forces had refrained from attacking each other since 24 July, following 13 consecutive days of attacks. President Donald Trump's administration said it was pursuing some form of diplomacy with Iran, but the parties' public statements continue to highlight disagreement over the strait of Hormuz and other issues. Iran until now reacted to US strikes, rather than launching preemptive attacks. It was not clear what caused an apparent change in Iranian tactics. A pause in fighting from 24-27 July helped push oil futures lower, and September Nymex WTI settled at $79.26/bl on Tuesday. But vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz remains constrained and Yemen's Houthi militant group appears to have started targeting Saudi oil shipping in the Red Sea . Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday, with both describing their meeting as productive but providing few other details. Iranian and Ukrainian foreign ministers held a telephone conversation on Tuesday to address a Ukrainian missile strike against an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian sea. Tehran and Kyiv said they are not looking to escalate conflict, and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he asked for compensation for the loss of crew and damage to the Iranian ship. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Hormuz transits still low despite pause in fighting

New York, 28 July (Argus) — Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz remained constrained over the weekend and through the start of this week, despite the pause in attacks between the US and Iran. Hormuz Vessel traffic on 27 July totaled six vessels, evenly split between inbound and outbound transits, and all along the northern, Iran-favored traffic routing, according to data from vessel tracking service Windward. On 26 July, five vessels transited the strait outbound and two vessels inbound, all on northern routes, Windward data shows. Over the weekend traffic through the strait as recorded by Windward fell to its lowest level since the breakdown of the June memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran that paused fighting, with only one outbound crossing detected on the northern Iranian route on 25 July. Other sources claim more ship traffic from 26-27 July. "US-assisted" strait of Hormuz transits reached 26 vessels over the two-day period, according to data from the UK Trade Maritime Organization (UKTMO) and the US Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS), which liaises between military and civil authorities. NCAGS has not yes responded to request for details on the transits. In the same advisory note, released 28 July, UKTMO said that "over the last 72 hours, strait of Hormuz traffic continued at reduced levels, with no sustained increase along the southern Omani corridor". The US continues to enforce its blockade of traffic to and from Iranian ports just outside the strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X on 28 July that it had redirected 18 commercial vessels, boarded two and disabled two more as part of the blockade since its resumption on 14 July after the breakdown of the US-Iran ceasefire. US forces said they disabled the very large gas carrier Lavine on 24 July. That vessel, which also operated under the name Disha , was under sanctions by the US, according to vessel information firm TankerTrackers.com. On 25 July, US forces boarded the Charminar ,an MR2 tanker,to ensure it was compliant with the blockade. By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.