Road fuels
Overview
Fuels for road transportation continue to drive the refining industry. But gasoline and diesel use is coming under increasing pressure from the introduction of low-carbon targets around the world.
Global oversupply, new regulatory measures and rapidly increasing competition for export markets are affecting refining margins. The need for accurate insight and data is more critical than ever.
Argus road fuels coverage includes price assessments and key insights into conventional fuels — gasoline, middle distillates and blending components — as well as biofuels, in each key region. Our trusted prices are delivered alongside the latest market-moving news, in-depth analysis, supply and demand dynamics, price forecasts and forward curves data.
Latest road fuels news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global road fuels industry.
Western Australia buys gasoil for strategic reserve
Western Australia buys gasoil for strategic reserve
Sydney, 14 April (Argus) — The government of Western Australia (WA) has bought 4mn litres (25,157bl) of gasoil from independent supplier Cambridge Gulf as part of its plan to set up its own strategic reserve independent from Australia's national stockpile, it announced today. Through an arrangement with independent fuel supplier Cambridge Gulf, the gasoil will be stored in Wyndham in the Kimberley region and 100pc owned by the state. Wyndham is in the far north of WA. Wyndham has only received one part-cargo delivery of gasoil so far this year, according to vessel tracking data from Vortexa. The 49,200 deadweight-tonne Pacific Montana discharged 21,700 bl of gasoil in February after making much larger deliveries to Port Hedland and Geraldton in late January. Gasoil is needed in remote regions of WA like the Kimberley region for long-haul transport as well as power generation because communities there are not connected to the power grid. Gasoil demand in the region has waned in recent years following closures of mines like Kimberley Metals Group's 1.5mn t/yr Ridges Iron Ore project and Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine. Around 85pc of gasoil sales in WA are non-retail ( see graph ). The mining and agriculture sector receives the bulk of those supplies. The minimum stockpile obligation has not been working optimally for the state because not every fuel supplier has large fuel storage there, WA energy minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said in a press conference on 12 April. By Tom Woodlock Western Australia diesel sales in 2025 (mn bl) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
China's CATL, Jianlong to scale truck electrification
China's CATL, Jianlong to scale truck electrification
Beijing, 13 April (Argus) — China's largest battery manufacturer CATL and private-sector steel group Jianlong signed a strategic co-operation agreement on 10 April, aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of steelmaking and mining through greater electrification and renewable energy deployment. Under the agreement, the two companies will co-operate across areas including the electrification of steel industry operations, development of green and intelligent mines, and the electrification of logistics. They plan to deploy more than 3,000 electric heavy trucks during China's 15th five-year plan period (2026-30), roll out battery-swapping infrastructure along at least 16 logistics hub routes, and build and operate 100 battery-swapping stations. The partnership will also advance the development of centralised and distributed wind and solar projects, using Jianlong's industrial parks as pilot sites. The two sides aim to build a full-chain, zero-carbon model covering mining, transportation, energy and materials, creating a replicable template for industrial decarbonisation, CATL said. CATL and Jianlong said the initiative is intended to demonstrate integrated pathways for emissions reduction in heavy industry and logistics, supporting China's broader push to reduce industrial carbon intensity while promoting the large-scale adoption of electric heavy vehicles. CATL in November 2024 released its Tianxing series batteries used in heavy commercial vehicles. CATL's Tianxing heavy commercial vehicle ultra-fast-charging battery allows vehicles to replenish 70pc of energy within 15 minutes. The battery also offers an ultra-long lifespan of up to 1.2mn km, a maximum capacity of 600kWh, and a driving range of up to 500km. In short-haul applications such as mining transport and construction material mixing, the technology can significantly reduce charging time for electric heavy trucks, it said. China's new-energy heavy truck market maintained rapid growth in the first two months of 2026, extending last year's expansion and reinforcing pressure on the country's diesel demand just as domestic diesel prices surged in March. The country's sales of such trucks reached 233,200 units in 2025, almost tripling on the year, according to Chinese research institute EV Tank. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Nigeria a net gasoline exporter for first time in March
Nigeria a net gasoline exporter for first time in March
London, 10 April (Argus) — Nigeria was a net exporter of gasoline for the first time in March, capping a transformation in the country's position from a heavy net importer of the product to a global supplier. West Africa's largest economy received 41,000 b/d of gasoline in the month, the lowest on Kpler records. Dangote crude receipts in the month were the second highest since the 650,000 b/d refinery started operations at the end of 2023, at 565,000 b/d, suggesting healthy run rates and gasoline output, cutting reliance on foreign supply. Dangote booked just 10pc of the gasoline imported to Nigeria last month. Independent marketing firms took up recently issued import permits, allowing Dangote to funnel more of its production to export markets. Lower domestic demand may have left a greater amount of gasoline available for export in March. Local sources cited a 40pc increase in retail prices because of the US-Israel war against Iran and the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, which probably weighed on consumer demand. Nigeria also appeared to be sitting on comfortable gasoline stocks going into March , market participants said. Dangote gasoline exports were 44,000 b/d in March, up from none in January-February. As the sole gasoline producer in Nigeria, Dangote loadings helped tip the balance, making the country a net gasoline exporter of 3,000 b/d in March. Dangote made forays into the east African market in March for the first time, loading a 317,000 bl gasoline cargo signalling for Mozambique. East African gasoline import demand from Dangote rose as the region scrambles for alternative supply in the absence of Mideast Gulf product. Dangote's sole gasoline export to date in April is also destined for Beira, Mozambique. Nigeria's status as a net-gasoline exporter compounds Europe's gasoline oversupply conundrum, as the west African country is on the way to becoming a competitor rather than an customer. Nigeria is probably better positioned to place gasoline into west or east Africa to cover war-related shortfalls. Some tanker fixtures of gasoline loading in Europe for delivery to east of Suez ports failed in March, probably because of elevated freight rates. It remains to be seen if Nigeria can replicate its March milestone, given the small size of its net export position. A rise in local demand, fewer gasoline import permits issued, or lower run rates at Dangote could each tip the balance back towards more familiar territory. By George Maher-Bonnett Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia to underwrite refiners' spot fuel trades
Australia to underwrite refiners' spot fuel trades
Sydney, 10 April (Argus) — Australian government agency Export Finance Australia (EFA) will underwrite the financial risk of spot-market fuel and crude oil purchases by refiners Viva Energy and Ampol to support the country's fuel imports, energy minister Chris Bowen announced on 9 April. Under the agreement, the government will be able to direct where the additional fuel is distributed, prioritising regions facing tighter supply. The EFA is also finalising similar agreements with other companies. Government support will enable refiners to secure cargoes that would otherwise be considered uncommercial because of volatile prices and high spot-market costs. The EFA will update its public register with each transaction, Bowen said on 10 April. This falls under legislation passed last week that allowed the EFA to underwrite critical imports such as fuel and fertilizer, reducing the commercial risk for buyers as part of efforts to manage supply pressures linked to Iran's effective blockade of the strait of Hormuz. Under the legislation, the EFA can insure, indemnify, guarantee, lend, or enter into other arrangements including with third parties to support activities such as buying, selling, transporting, or storing a strategic material. Gasoil, jet fuel, crude oil and fuel oil are listed as strategic materials, as well as "any material experiencing supply chain disruptions". Australia's oil products demand averages nearly 1.1mn b/d, but its refineries supply only about one-fifth of that. This leaves the country heavily dependent on imports, leading to supply concerns since the US–Iran conflict began in late February. Ampol's 109,000 b/d Lytton refinery in Brisbane and Viva's 120,000 b/d Geelong refinery are the country's only major operating refineries. By Grace Dudley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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