LONDON—The world is awash with oil, but in pockets of the market lower-quality, sulfur-rich crude is limited and buyers are competing for cargoes.
Lackluster gasoline demand growth, particularly in the U.S., and fears of a repeat of last year’s poor summer gasoline profits, led refineries in the Atlantic Basin to skew their yields in favor of distillates, by running heavier oil. Strong profits for fuel oil has also encouraged refineries to run sour crudes.
This has compounded supply cuts, which were concentrated in heavier oils, to keep sulfur-rich crudes, normally shunned for lighter, easier-to-process alternatives, at the top of the heap.
Since OPEC-organized cuts began siphoning some 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) from the market in January—nearly all of it medium and heavy oil—the so-called “heavy” or “sour” grades have become the most sought-after barrels.
Normally, refineries would snap up easier-to-process light grades before the summer, when they aim to run the gasoline-rich crude so they can sell the fuel to drivers on vacation. But now, in the middle of July, sour grades are still so sought-after that differentials are hitting multi-year highs. “Sour grades are like gold dust at the moment,” one oil trader said. “There’s a need to fill in more sour grades heading to the U.S. and there is huge demand from the East.”
Differentials for Urals, a sour grade exported from the Baltics and the Black Sea, are trading at their highest level vs. dated Brent in two years, while light grades nearby such as CPC Blend and Azeri are at two-year lows.
North Sea Ekofisk, a light crude coveted for its high gasoline yield, is also trading at its largest discount to sour Forties in two years, as are differentials for Angola’s Cabinda. Despite a summer slowdown in loadings for China, a key buyer of Angolan oil, U.S. and Indian loadings rose to their highest in roughly a year, according to Reuters tracking.
“It’s an oversupplied sweet market, but a tight medium and heavy sour market,” said Ehsan Ul-Haq, director of crude oil and refined products at Resource Economist Ltd.
Most of the oversupply—including millions of barrels from Libya and Nigeria which are exempt from the OPEC production cuts, and output from U.S. shale—is light crude oil.
At the same time new and sophisticated refineries in India and China—designed to run sulfur-rich crudes—are ramping up production. India’s IOC bought its first sour crude oil cargo from the U.S. last week.
Recommended Reading
US Oil, Gas Rig Count Falls to Lowest Since January 2022
2024-05-03 - The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by eight to 605 in the week to May 3, in the biggest weekly decline since September 2023.
Pemex Reports Lower 2Q Production and Net Income
2024-05-03 - Mexico’s Pemex reported both lower oil and gas production and a 91% drop in net income in first-quarter 2024, but the company also reduced its total debt to $101.5 billion, executives said during an earnings webcast with analysts.
Chouest Acquires ROV Company ROVOP to Expand Subsea Capabilities
2024-05-02 - With the acquisition of ROVOP, Chouest will have a fleet of more than 100 ROVs.
SLB, OneSubsea, Subsea 7 Sign Collaboration Deal with Equinor
2024-05-02 - Work is expected to begin immediately on Equinor’s Wisting and Bay Du Nord projects.
SilverBow Makes Horseshoe Lateral in Austin Chalk
2024-05-01 - SilverBow Resources’ 8,900-foot lateral was drilled in Live Oak County at the intersection of South Texas’ oil and condensate phases. It's a first in the Chalk.