RVO halves US refining margins
The cost to comply with the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), as measured by the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO), has risen to more than half of refinery margins on the US Gulf coast for road fuel producers with maximum exposure.
The Argus-calculated RVO averaged 52pc of Gulf coast 3-2-1 refining margins against WTI Houston crude for the two weeks ending 4 June. Gasoline and diesel producers who are unable to blend biofuels into their finished productand have limited means of export face a worst-case scenario in which margins on paper are cut by more than half, from $17.80/bl to $8.56/bl after paying for the RVO.
The RVO is an aggregate of Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits that obligated parties must pay in lieu of physical blending. Producers have varying degrees of current and past exposure to the credit market depending on their access to biofuels and blending facilities. Demand for RIN credits has outpaced supply because of relatively low production of ethanol RINs last year combined with increased demand after several Trump-era waivers from the RFS program were withdrawn.
The historically high RVO adds a layer of difficult-to-hedge, volatile costs to refiners, and has helped cap Gulf coast refinery throughput even as domestic fuel demand is hitting post-pandemic highs at the onset of peak summer driving season.
The 3-2-1 crack spread has narrowed slightly from mid-May highs, when a five-day shutdown of the Colonial pipeline lifted gasoline and diesel prices. Since then, crude gains have outpaced the corresponding gains in product prices, although Gulf coast cracks remain wide relative to historical margins.
At the same time, RVO continued to to set fresh highs as uncertainty over RFS waivers and volume mandates prompted fears of a credit shortage. A run on biodiesel feedstocks and record high soybean oil futures also contributed to sustained RVO gains.
While it's not uncommon for RVO to cut refining margins by as much as 50pc in low-margin environments for those maximally exposed — as was the case for much of the fourth quarter last year — it is rare when margins are approaching $20/bl.
Crude throughputs at US Gulf coast refineries have held above 8mn b/d since mid-April, high for the pandemic era but largely below pre-pandemic levels, according to US Energy Information Administration data.
This is despite nationwide gasoline demand exceeding 9mn b/d since mid-May, including two consecutive weeks of hitting post-pandemic peaks. Expectations are high for a return to peak summer fuel consumption in the coming months, as vaccinations and re-openings create a path to release pent-up travel demand.
This tension between rising domestic demand and RVO-dented margins has created a shortage of intermediate feedstocks. While refiners limit their RVO exposure by curbing crude throughput, they are also seeking to maximize rates at secondary units that produce gasoline and blending components with the start of summer driving season.
Vacuum gasoil (VGO) has seen a recent rise in demand from US Gulf coast refiners using it as a feedstock for fluid catalytic crackers (FCCs). Refiners have squeezed out fuel oil blenders from the VGO market in recent weeks as FCC rates have climbed. This is a departure from earlier this year, when blenders of low-sulphur fuel oil provided the main source of demand for VGO.
Related news posts
Neste inks deal to supply SAF to Singapore's SIA, Scoot
Neste inks deal to supply SAF to Singapore's SIA, Scoot
Singapore, 6 May (Argus) — Finnish biofuels producer Neste has signed an agreement to supply 1,000t of neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from its Singapore refinery to Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot. The blended jet fuel will be delivered from Neste's Singapore refinery to Changi Airport's fuel hydrant system in two batches, once in this year's second quarter and the next in the fourth quarter. The delivered fuel will be a blend of neat SAF, which is made from renewable waste and residue raw materials, and conventional jet fuel. But the exact ratio of the two remains undisclosed. Neste's Singapore facility has a production capacity of 1mn t/yr of SAF, making it the world's largest SAF plant, according to Neste. The firm completed an expansion of its refinery in May 2023 . Neste is also the only company in Singapore producing SAF after Shell scrapped plans to set up a biofuel refinery in the city-state . The delivery from Neste's Singapore refinery to Changi Airport's fuel hydrant system cements the firm's end-to-end SAF supply chain capabilities in the country. Neste is also a minority shareholder at Changi Airport's fuel storage and infrastructure joint venture Changi Airport Fuel Hydrant Installation, to offer blended SAF directly to airlines at the airport. The SIA group aims to use a minimum of 5pc of SAF in its total fuel uplift by 2030, according to the group's chief sustainability officer Lee Wen Fen. This comes as Singapore mandates a 1pc SAF use for flights departing from Singapore from 2026, alongside a SAF levy, in their sustainable airhub blueprint on 19 February. The mandate is projected to rise to 3-5pc by 2030, subject to global developments and wider SAF availability and adoption, according to the blueprint. SIA to offer BCUs SIA will also offer 1,000 SAF book and claim units (BCUs) for purchase by its corporate customers starting from May, with each BCU representing 1t of neat SAF with its associated CO2 reduction benefit. This allows corporate travellers, shippers, and freight forwarders to claim the associated environmental benefits for flights related to their business travel and operations under the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) book and claim system, to ensure traceability and credibility of the transactions. By Deborah Sun Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Fire hits Vance Bioenergy's Pasir Gudang facility
Fire hits Vance Bioenergy's Pasir Gudang facility
Singapore, 6 May (Argus) — A fire broke out at Malaysian biodiesel producer Vance Bioenergy's Pasir Gudang facility in southern Johor today, but did not affect biodiesel production, said sources close to the company. Some auxiliary products were affected, a source said but declined to name them because of commercial sensitivity. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Vance Bioenergy produces biodiesel for the Malaysian and European markets, but there has been limited market reaction to the news so far. The company has a total biodiesel production capacity of 450,000 t/yr, with 300,000 t/yr at Tanjung Langsat and 150,000 t/yr at Pasir Gudang. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Indonesia’s PIS seeks MR vessels to ship oil products
Indonesia’s PIS seeks MR vessels to ship oil products
Singapore, 6 May (Argus) — Indonesia's Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) is seeking two Medium Range (MR) vessels to ship clean oil products to Sulawesi and Central Java provinces for early-May loading. PIS — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indonesian state-owned refiner Pertamina — has issued two spot tenders. The shipments can have a maximum unavoidable transportation loss of up to 0.07pc, according to the tenders. A 200,000 bl shipment will load either from Singapore or Malaysia's Tanjung Bin, Tanjung Langsat or Pengerang during 10-11 May, before heading to two discharge ports in Indonesia's Baubau and Semarang. The tender closed at 10am Jakarta time (3am GMT) on 6 May. The firm issued another tender that closed at 2pm Jakarta time on 3 May. The 300,000 bl shipment will load from the same potential ports during 8-9 May, before heading to Indonesia's Semarang. PIS booked the 2021-built, 34,752 deadweight tonne Bowmore at $800,000 for a 200,000 bl shipment from Singapore to two discharge ports in Indonesia's Bau Bau and Wayame with loading from 17 April, through a tender that closed on 9 April . By Sean Zhuang Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Dutch FincoEnergies supplies B100 biodiesel to HAL
Dutch FincoEnergies supplies B100 biodiesel to HAL
London, 3 May (Argus) — Dutch supplier FincoEnergies has supplied shipowner Holland America Line (HAL)with B100 marine biodiesel at the port of Rotterdam for a pilot test. This follows a collaboration between HAL, FincoEnergies' subsidiary GoodFuels, and engine manufacturer Wartsila to trial blends of B30 and B100 marine biodiesel . HAL's vessel the Rotterdam bunkered with B100 on 27 April before embarking on a journey through the Norwegian heritage fjords to test the use of the biofuel. The vessel will utilise one of its four engines to combust B100, which will reportedly cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 86pc on a well-to-wake basis compared with conventional fossil fuel marine gasoil (MGO), according to GoodFuels. There is no engine or fuel structure modification required for the combustion of B100, confirmed HAL. The B100 marine biodiesel blend comprised of sustainable feedstock such as waste fats and oils. The firms did not disclose how much B100 was supplied, or whether this is the beginning of a longer-term supply agreement. Argus assessed the price of B100 advanced fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) 0°C cold filter plugging point dob ARA — a calculated price which includes a deduction of the value of Dutch HBE-G renewable fuel tickets — at an average of $1,177.32/t in April. This is a premium of $410.20/t to MGO dob ARA prices for the same month, which narrows to $321.68/t with the inclusion of EU emissions trading system (ETS) costs for the same time period. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more