Price Cap on Russian Refined Fuels Set to Disrupt Trade
The European Union's ban on imports of Russian refined oil products, including diesel and jet fuel, will disrupt global flows once it takes effect on Sunday and could hurt Moscow more than an embargo on crude oil.Although Western sanctions could force Russia to cut crude production and refining runs, which would further tighten global supplies, some analysts said the ban on products may ultimately have little impact on overall availability."Barrels will get out and find a market…
Economy, Demand Data Drives Oil Down
World oil prices resumed a months-long rout on Tuesday to close at their lowest in more than two years, pressured by reduced economic and demand growth forecasts. U.S. crude oil prices fell faster than European Brent, reversing a weeks-long compression in the Brent/WTI spread amid signs that U.S. refiners are starting to buy cut-priced West African or Mediterranean crudes, re-opening a once common arbitrage. The International Monetary Fund cut its global economic growth forecasts for the third time this year, warning of weaker growth in core euro zone countries, Japan and Brazil. And German industrial output fell in August at its steepest rate since January 2009. "The IMF forecast is weighing on (demand) sentiment," said Phil Flynn, an analyst for the Price Futures Group in Chicago.
MISC to Acquire NOL’s American Eagle Tankers
Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC) will acquire Neptune Orient Lines’s American Eagle Tankers (AET). The acquisition will provide MISC with an additional fleet of 29 Aframax tankers (22 owned and 7 chartered-in) and 2 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC). This will effectively increase MISC’s fleet to 37 Aframax tankers and 3 VLCCs (MISC presently has 8 Aframax tankers and 1 VLCC). In addition, AET has contracted for 3 Aframax and 3 VLCC new-builds and plans to charter-in 1 Aframax newbuild, while MISC has contracted for 4 additional Aframax and 1 VLCC newbuilds. Including newbuilds and charter-ins, the combined fleet totals 53 crude oil carriers.With the acquisition, MISC will be the second largest combined Aframax fleet in the world.
