Despite demand for some refined products returning to pre-COVID levels, refinery margins in Europe have remained at all-time lows, leading to a bottleneck in the upstream market. S&P Global Platts editors Solomon Lanitis and Elza Turner discuss with Joel Hanley falling demand for crude oil in Europe, the building inventories of floating storage, and the health and prospects for the refinery sector.

For the first time, the African Refiners and Distributors Week was held virtually in the week commencing Oct. 5, discussing the challenges of the downstream sector in the region, but also the strong signs of resilience in the continent in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Platts editors Eklavya Gupte, Joseph Mcdonnell and Virginie Malicier discuss with Francesco Di Salvo key takeaways from the conference as well as the latest views on oil fundamentals in the continent.

With global demand destruction and COVID-19 continuing to impact US production, the expected trajectory of US crude exports is vastly different than just a few months ago. Before the pandemic, S&P Global Platts Analytics expected US crude exports to end 2020 at a run rate of nearly 4 million b/d, rising past 6 million b/d by the mid-2020s, but with demand loss for now putting a cap on WTI at about $40/b, Analytics now expects exports to fall below 2 million b/d by mid-2021. S&P Global Platts editors Laura Huchzermeyer, Kristian Tialios and Matt Eversman look at the factors affecting US crude exports.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create interesting opportunities; one of the more surprising is seeing kerosene finding its way into marine fuel. Platts reporters Sarah-Jane Flaws and Gary Clark discuss with Joel Hanley how a once-premium product has mingled with shipping fuel.

Fresh from the recent Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference or Platts APPEC, Gawoon Phil Vahn and Surabhi Sahu join Mriganka Jaipuriyar to share key themes and insights discussed at the event, which brought together - virtually - the who's who in the oil industry.  This episode takes a deep dive into the impact of the current fragile demand environment on the region's refining industry, the strategies being deployed by major companies to fight against weak refining margins as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect oil product demand, as well as the big push for energy transition and the pressure on the aviation industry to cut emissions. 

US Gulf Coast market players looking to get light naphtha barrels off their hands, a hungry Asian market and weakened freight is the perfect arbitrage recipe. But with shipowners reluctant to move their ships East, where the freight market is weak, the balance has been delicate. Sarah Raslan, US naphtha editor, and Marieke Alsguth, US clean tankers editor, chat with Americas Oil Markets Editorial Director Director Richard Swann to dissect the ingredients that have set the table for this arbitrage opportunity.

There is rising supply for European diesel and while demand is recovering it is still short of last year’s levels, the pronounced contango this is prompting comes when many clean tankers are choosing to stay in the region, meaning the stars are aligning for floating storage. Middle distillates expert Virginie Malicier and clean tanker specialist Chris To tell Joel Hanley the latest.

Russia’s slashing of crude output is well documented, but how are its internal markets coping with the impact of COVID-19? Joel Hanley asks Russia experts Elza Turner and Thomas Washington what the energy superpower can do to stem volatility at home.

Light sulfur fuel oil has been the main marine fuel of choice worldwide, but high sulfur fuel oil has held its stead in Asia. S&P Global Platts senior oil experts Surabhi Sahu and Oceana Zhou join Platts Asia Head of News Mriganka Jaipuriyar in examining the demand for HSFO particularly in Singapore, which is the world's largest bunkering port. They also discuss China's fuel demand and outlook, as well as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Asian fuel oil markets.

COVID-19 may have caused demand for jet fuel to plummet but S&P Global Platts and the wider industry are looking to the future with a newly launched European sustainable aviation fuel assessment, as public scrutiny keeps emissions targets in sight. Middles distillates specialists Gary Clark, Christopher Ewen and Harry Morton tell Joel Hanley how this fits in with wider trends across the middle of the barrel.

As European road transport demand gradually recovers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the price of gasoline blending component ethanol has reached all-time highs on tight supply, rising road demand and strong industrial use. Unusually, the prices of other blending components are down in the doldrums. S&P Global Platts reporters Chrysa Glystra, Joseph McDonnell and Stergios Zacharakis tell Gary Clark the latest.

OPEC and its allies are loosening the reins around production cuts amid tentative signs of an oil demand recovery, which is likely to bring additional heavier sourer barrels back on to the market. Gillian Carr and Paul Hickin discuss with Joel Hanley how this could play out in the months ahead.

While the rest of the world is still on a relatively slow recovery phase, China's crude imports and throughput levels are hitting record highs. Its GDP has flipped back to positive territory with a 3.2% growth the second quarter, from a 6.9% decline in the first quarter. S&P Global Platts oil experts Oceana Zhou and Mark Tan talk about the facts behind these historical highs and the impact they could have on Asia's still fragile oil markets.

As Europe emerges from its COVID-19 lockdown, diesel demand is flickering back to life. But can the same be said for gasoil? S&P Global Platts reporters Virginie Malicier and Harry Morton discuss with Joel Hanley how European distillate markets have reacted to the Coronavirus pandemic, and the prospects for a swift recovery.

Storm clouds still lurk over the refining sector as a combination of firm heavy crude prices and limited upside to light product prices squeeze margins for simple and complex installations alike, even as a rapid demand recovery in some countries has taken markets by surprise. Refining expert Elza Turner tells Joel Hanley the latest.

The American crude benchmark NYMEX WTI went negative in April, an event that sparked global questions of ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’ Now, the US crude industry is looking to the future, with Platts American GulfCoast Select touted as an alternative yardstick against which crudes from Canada down to Argentina could be measured. Platts US crude market experts Matt Eversman and Laura Huchzermeyer speak with John-Laurent Tronche about the recent past, present and future of US crude pricing.

The closure for maintenance of the salt caverns at Lavera on the French Mediterranean coast poses some questions for the region’s LPG market, especially that of butane. LPG reporter Kieran Hess discusses with Joel Hanley how the Mediterranean market is responding to the closure in the midst of coronavirus and arbitrage links with other regions.

Asia's high volume of US crude imports in the first half 2020 could prove a false alarm for OPEC+ producers fretting over their shrinking share of the Asian demand pie following the coronavirus pandemic. S&P Global Platts oil editors Surabhi Sahu and Gawoon Philip Vahn discuss Asia's crude appetite for the second half of 2020 and how several refiners in the region planning their crude purchases for the months ahead as WTI increasingly proves much more expensive than Middle Eastern grades.

Turbulence in oil markets and shifting regulation has led to some surprising dynamics at the bottom of the barrel. Following S&P Global Platts’ European Bunker Fuel Virtual Conference, fuel oil reporters Sarah-Jane Flaws, James Goldburn and Britt Russell-Webster discuss how expectations have panned out for fuel oil and refinery feedstocks with Platts Associate Director EMEA Oil John Morley.

Rising driving demand has offered some support to the top of the barrel but, with expectations of higher demand also in evidence, higher inventories may take the shine off gasoline and naphtha recoveries, as arbitrage opportunities still look shaky. Light end reporters Joseph McDonnell and Evridiki Dimitriadou tell Francesco Di Salvo the latest.

Fuel demand across Northeast Asia plunged at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in the region over February and March. But the tide has since turned for the good in recent months. Manufacturing, construction and transportation activities are picking up fast in China with signs of the pandemic being largely contained in the country. S&P Global Platts oil specialists Philip Vahn, Oceana Zhou and Avantika Ramesh examine oil market indicators in China and the sources that are feeding the country's renewed thirst for crude.

There are some that say the aviation sector is on life-support but industry participants are already looking to signs of recovery, with no sign of ditching previously established environmental targets, jet fuel reporters Gary Clark and Ellie Valencia tell Francesco Di Salvo. Later in the program, Tamara Sleiman and Tom Washington discuss the outlook for bunker fuel in the latest IMO 2020 update.

Falling values for naphtha are stimulating margins for some petrochemical manufacturers, as COVID-19 sends people rushing to buy hand sanitizer and disposable plastics. Naphtha reporter Evridiki Dimitriadou and petrochemicals reporter Ora Lazic discuss the winners and losers at the top of the barrel and beyond with Joel Hanley.

In this special bonus episode of the S&P Global Platts Oil Markets podcast, Dave Ernsberger, head of pricing and market insight, discusses with Joel how commodity and energy benchmarks are faring amid the coronavirus outbreak, and Platts’ approach to dealing with recent market stress.

New fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturer Hyzon Motors has made rapid progress since forming in March, already signing an MOU with a UK partner to deliver 1,000 hydrogen fuelled buses. In this S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast we talk to Hyzon's CTO, Ian Thompson, about the advantages and costs of FCEVs in buses and heavy-duty trucks compared with battery EVs, and opportunities for future growth.

The malaise in jet fuel and air traffic is grounding airmail and the outlook seems bleak for airlines as the contango in jet fuel stretches out ever further. Jet fuel reporter Gary Clark and Middle Distillates editorial manager Eleni Pittalis tell Joel Hanley the latest.

The European diesel markets are in turmoil: demand has crashed – taking prices with it – and storage is filling up fast. Could we see a repeat of negative oil prices as we have seen in the US crude markets? In this episode, Platts editor Virginie Malicier tells Joel Hanley how diesel markets are coping in the Covid-19 pandemic. We also hear from freight reporter Charlotte Bucchioni, who gives an update on soaring shipping rates, as charterers scramble for spare tonnage.

Oil products are succumbing to record breaking lows, with jet cracks entering record-breaking and negative territory, and refineries are presented with complex decisions as a result of COVID-19. Senior refining reporter Elza Turner and middle distillate specialist Gary Clark discuss with Joel Hanley product margins and the options before refiners.

COVID-19 has crushed crude prices and is now closing North Sea oil fields. S&P Global Platts reporters Nick Coleman and Emma Kettley share their views with Joel Hanley, explaining the key logistical dependencies, and the differing impacts on Dated Brent and ICE Brent futures. In fuel oil, Britt Russell-Webster gives an update on the Coronavirus’s role in changing bunker fundamentals, and how ship-owners might be reconsidering their scrubber options.

Nationwide lockdowns imposed by governments in the race to contain the spread of COVID-19 have in turn dampened economies and triggered severe demand destruction on refined oil products. In the latest S&P Global Platts Oil Markets podcast, our team of refined product specialists Ramthan Hussein, Mark Tan, and Wendy Cheong examine how containment measures are affecting demand for transport fuel gasoline and household fuel LPG in Asia, how prices have responded to the demand destruction, and what lies ahead, with the gradual return of Chinese industries.

With the OPEC+ agreement in tatters and COVID-19 destroying demand, the crude oil markets are in turmoil. Prices have fallen over 70% since October but is there any upside in the short term, and where can the glut go? Platts reporters Emma Kettley and Nicholas Baldwin tell Joel Hanley the latest on benchmark Dated Brent as well as the wider North Sea and West African crude oil markets.

COVID-19 has crushed demand and prices of jet fuel around the world. What can be done with all that extra jet fuel, and what are the prospects for airlines as they struggle to stay viable? S&P Global Platts reporters Gary Clark and Francesco Di Salvo discuss this challenging market with Joel Hanley.

In an extended Oil Markets podcast, we present a panel discussion on the energy transition and its impact on oil and gas companies, recorded at this year’s S&P Global Platts London Oil & Energy Forum. The past year has seen an explosion of environmental protest, yet hydrocarbons still account for around 80% of the global energy mix. Simon Thorne, global director of power and generating fuels content, Chris Midgley, global director of analytics, and Beth Burks, ESG associate director at S&P Global Ratings, join Joel Hanley to discuss how the sector is likely to evolve amid the shift towards a more sustainable future. For more on this subject, read our special report, Sustainability shift: Oil's future in the energy transition.

International Petroleum Week is supposed to be a week of business and parties, but what happens when a virus outbreak threatens more disruption than environmental protesters could ever have hoped for? S&P Global Platts Global Head of Oil, Vera Blei, and Dave Ernsberger, Head of Content, discuss their takeaways from a fascinating IP Week with Joel Hanley. In the IMO2020 podcast, Britt Russell-Webster and Sarah-Jane Flaws tell Tamara Sleiman of the fuel market impact of the carriage ban on high sulfur fuels.

S&P Global Platts refined oil products experts Atsuko Kawasaki, Amy Tan, and Rajesh Nair examine the rapidly changing fortunes of the Asian Marine Fuel 0.5% market, which has seen a fundamental shift since International Maritime Organization's mandate to limit sulfur in marine fuels to a maximum of 0.5% kicked off from the start of the year.

Growing environmental scrutiny upon the aviation sector is shining a light on its carbon footprint. Tune into jet fuel specialist Emma Thomas and biofuel specialist Huw Shortland as they discuss the latest developments with Platts carbon news lead Frank Watson. Later in the program, fuel oil reporters Sarah-Jane Flaws and James Goldburn discuss falling premiums for very low sulfur with Tamara Sleiman as IMO 2020 gets underway.

While oil refineries should be enjoying a relatively low crude oil price, the Covid-19 virus has hit demand in some regions. Can refiners use this time to overhaul their plants and make the most of the downturn? Elza Turner and Joel Hanley discuss the latest options for refiners and count the cost of the Coronavirus.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus has been dominating the news agenda, with the World Health Organization, governments and OPEC scrambling to find a response. As China takes drastic action, what impact are the oil markets seeing? Giving their perspective on the West African crude oil and global jet fuel markets, S&P Global Platts reporters Nicholas Baldwin and Emma Thomas tell Joel Hanley the latest. Also, in the latest IMO 2020 special podcast, fuel reporter James Goldburn and petrochemicals specialist Lara Berton tell Tamara Sleiman how the new sulfur cap is affecting the feedstocks and propylene industries.

The start of the year sees new record premiums for Asia-Pacific crude with IMO 2020 kicking in, and amid fewer supply from Libya. But sentiment in the market could be weighed down by the coronavirus outbreak gripping commodity markets. S&P Global Platts Asia-Pacific crude oil market experts Jeslyn Lerh, Andrew Toh and Ada Taib examine the market.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin makes sweeping changes to his government, Platts Russia specialists Elza Turner and Rosemary Griffin tell Joel Hanley how these changes might affect the country’s oil production and involvement in the OPEC+ agreement (recorded earlier in the week). And in the latest update on IMO 2020, fuel reporters Rajesh Nair and Britt Russell-Webster discuss with Tamara Sleiman why bunker premiums are soaring in Asia against other parts of the world.

Price rises in the European naphtha market and growing tightness in propane are putting pressure on petrochemicals producers, who face trouble downstream from US producers sending product to Europe instead of China, as the US-China trade war remains unresolved. Platts reporters Salome Germain and Ora Lazic tell Francesco di Salvo the latest.

Pressure on availability of sour crude could be brewing amid tension in the Middle East, with the potential for US involvement in the area to result in sanctions on Iraqi exports. Platts reporters William Bland and Eklavya Gupte discuss with Joel Hanley where recent events in the region could take us in this podcast, recorded on Tuesday. Also, Seth Clare, Britt Russell-Webster and Tom Washington update Tamara Sleiman on how VLSFO and distillates are faring at the start of 2020.

With industrial action seen across many industries in France, Platts reporters Virginie Malicier and John-Laurent Tronche tell Joel Hanley of the impact on the country's refinery business and what it could mean for prices.

As the clamor for greener fuels grows ever louder, bunker players are already looking forward to the next big thing. Platts bunker reporters Jack Jordan and Tom Washington discuss with Joel Hanley the alternative fuels being eyed as replacements for oil. And in the latest IMO 2020 podcast, Tamara Sleiman talks to Britt Russell-Webster and Eleni Pittalis on the industry's final preparations ahead of the much talked about January 1 deadline.

In a rare move, Qatar Petroleum issued a tender this month that included a cargo of its Marine Crude grade. It was made even more unusual by the fact that the tender cargo was priced as a differential against Platts Dubai crude assessments. In this episode of S&P Global Platts Oil Markets podcast, editors Eesha Muneeb and Ada Taib examine how Qatar's move could potentially impact pricing of Middle Eastern crudes.

Surging popularity for 0.5% sulfur marine fuel is boosting the new fuel's cracks to twice that of refining mainstay gasoline, product reporters Tom Washington and Solomon Lanitis tell John Morley. Upstream, crude reporters Emma Kettley, William Bland and Amanda Flint update Tamara Sleiman about the widening sweet-sour crude spread.

Middle distillates have been drifting into the a softer patch on the back of frustrated expectations for IMO 2020. Amid this, arrivals of VLCCs carrying middle distillates have impacted European and African markets, middle distillates specialists Virginie Malicier and Gary Clark tell Francesco Di Salvo.