A heavy refinery turnaround season in the Mideast Gulf is expected to exacerbate an already tight gasoline market in the fourth quarter, prompting key regional suppliers to boost imports.
Saudi Arabia, which has already shut down two of its refineries, is preparing to take additional facilities off line in the coming months. Aramco's 460,000 b/d Satorp refinery in Jubail is due for a 60-day shutdown in November-December, while maintenance is also planned at the Riyadh refinery in the fourth quarter, though details have not been officially confirmed.
The upcoming turnaround plans come on the back of earlier maintenances at Aramco's facilities, including the 400,000 b/d Jizan refinery, where the reformer unit was taken off line since July, although the unit is expected to come back on line this month. Around four to five MR-sized gasoline cargoes from Jizan heads to Asia Pacific because of restrictions around specifications, traders said. The heavy turnaround season in the Mideast Gulf also coincides with a period of increased off line refinery capacity in Asia-Pacific, which has tightened the regional supply balances.
Adding to the supply strain, Aramco's 400,000 b/d Yasref refinery in Yanbu — a joint-venture with Sinopec — is currently operating its reformer at reduced rates. Kuwait's state-owned Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) also plans to shut several units at its 490,000 b/d Mina Abdullah (MAB) refinery for a 30-day maintenance period starting 1 October. Additional pressure may come from India, where the end of the monsoon season is expected to boost domestic demand, further reducing export volumes.
The Argus MEBOB crack spread, which reflects 92R oxygenated cargoes trading from the Mideast Gulf, has mirrored the bullish sentiment, increasing to $11.84/bl on 27 August from $11.72/bl on 26 August. Premiums for gasoline cargoes offered by Mideast Gulf refineries have strengthened, with Pakistan's state-owned refiner PSO — a major gasoline importer in south Asia — receiving offers at premiums of $7–12/bl to the Mideast Gulf 92R spot assessment for cargoes loading for July-September. This compares to offers in the $5–6/bl range earlier in the year. The Argus assessed 92R Mideast Gulf gasoline premiums have averaged $5.91/bl and $5.71/bl in July and June, respectively. This is up from a monthly average of $4.17/bl in May and $3.50/bl in April.
The latest EU sanctions on India's Nayara energy, a regular supplier to Aramco, has temporarily disrupted the company's access to at least one cargo per month. Nayara Energy has resumed gasoline exports, but the recent cargoes are heading to Oman's Sohar, traders said. The firm has also cut run rates at its 400,000 b/d Vadinar refinery after it became increasingly difficult to send products to both domestic and export markets.
Turning to alternative sources
With regional output lagging, the Mideast Gulf is increasingly turning to Europe and Asia to fill the gap. Imports of gasoline from northwest Europe to Mideast Gulf surged to a seven-month high in July, according to ship-tracking data from Vortexa. A total of 291,000t of gasoline — roughly 78,000 b/d — arrived in Saudi Arabia from European ports, the highest volume since December 2024. The Mideast Gulf's overall gasoline imports also jumped to 1.03mn t in July, up by 35pc from June, marking the highest monthly volume since January. Imports remain elevated in August, indicating continued shortfalls in domestic output.
Saudi Arabia has sharply increased its gasoline imports, bringing in 478,000t of the motor fuel in July compared to just 144,000t in June. The UAE has also stepped up its buying, importing 864,000t in August so far, already surpassing the 648,000t received in July.
Meanwhile, operational issues at Nigeria's 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery are likely to persist until early September. The refinery had previously supplied two LR cargoes to the Mideast Gulf region when the markets were tight in June-July. If economics align and its residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) issues are resolved, flows from Dangote could emerge — but that remains uncertain for now.

