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Russian drones strike two ships, including a Chinese cargo vessel near Ukraine's Black Sea

Posted to Maritime Reporter on May 18, 2026

Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian drones attacked two ships approaching ports in Ukraine's Odesa region in the Black Sea on Monday, including a Chinese cargo vessel. This was after a night-long Russian attack on the area. The Ukraine's…

Sources say that the low Chinese refining margins are affecting the premiums on Russian ESPO blend oil.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on May 15, 2026

Four trading sources said that spot premiums for Russian's Far East ESPO blend crude oil to be delivered to?China in June and July, have lowered due to the weak Chinese refining margins as well as slow demand. Sources said that the decline in…

Japan refinery run-up to rise by over 70% with alternative supply and stockpile releases

Posted to Maritime Reporter on May 13, 2026

Data from the Petroleum Association of Japan showed that Japanese refineries processed oil at over 70% of their capacity for the first since March. This was due to crude being released from their stockpiles, and other alternative sources. Japan…

Gulf clashes escalating as US and Iran are no closer to ending the war

Posted to Maritime Reporter on May 9, 2026

U.S. and Iran did not appear to be any closer to a resolution of their conflict on Saturday after both sides exchanged fire in the Gulf during a tenuous truce. A U.S. intelligence analysis found that Tehran could survive a naval blocade for several months.

Bousso

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 28, 2026

United Arab Emirates' decision not to join OPEC will drastically reduce the producer group's 65-year influence on the oil market. This could lead to a price war once Gulf producers rush to regain their market share after the Iran War is over.

Russia increases LPG rail exports to China by 21% in March m/m

Posted to Maritime Reporter on April 23, 2026

Sources said that Russia increased its liquefied gas exports to China by 21% in March compared to February. This was due to the increase in trading after the Chinese New Year holiday and the lack of Middle East supplies. Due to European sanctions…

Treasury's Bessent: US has "plenty" of funds to wage war on Iran

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 23, 2026

The?U.S. The?U.S. Bessent also ruled out any calls for tax increases in the "Meet the Press'" program on NBC News. Congress is sceptical about the U.S. government's request to spend $200 billion more on the Iran war after spending large amounts of money for defense last year.

Operator says that the Greek tanker, which was hit by an unidentified object, suffered minor damage.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 14, 2026

The manager of Maran Tankers, said that a Greek-flagged vessel, the Maran Homer was struck by an unidentified object on 'Saturday as it waited for orders to enter Caspian Pipeline Consortium Terminal (CPC) at Novorossiysk. The vessel was struck…

Bousso: US and China are the key to containing an oil shock in the Middle East

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 24, 2026

A major military conflict between the U.S., Iran and other Middle Eastern countries could cause a disruption of oil supplies in the region. It could be that the vast oil reserves held by both the U.S.A. and China are crucial in controlling it.

Bousso: US and China are the key to containing an oil shock in the Middle East

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 24, 2026

A major military conflict between the U.S., Iran and other countries could cause a disruption of Middle East oil supply. It could be that the vast oil reserves held by the U.S. or China are crucial in controlling it. As the American military builds up in the region…

Russell assumes that there will be no disruption in the supply of crude oil from Iran.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on February 20, 2026

According to daily headlines, the?premium built into crude oil prices due to tensions between Iran and the United States fluctuates. But there is a underlying assumption that all will be well. Brent crude oil futures closed at $70.35 per barrel, a 4.4% increase.

The US and Europe are falling behind in the race for control of the Arctic: Vladimirov & Petrova

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 31, 2026

The Arctic is not a frozen peripheral, particularly after the spat between the U.S. and Europe over Greenland. The High North is becoming a strategic hub for minerals, energy and shipping as the sea ice begins to melt. The Arctic is heating up four times faster than other parts of the world…

Sources say that the Russian Urals oil is trading at a discount close to the largest since 2022, in India

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 26, 2026

Two sources reported that Russian crude oil cargoes dated February Urals traded in Indian ports at discounts close to the largest since 2022 compared with dated Brent, amid increased pressure from Western sanctions. The two sources claimed that…

Hong Kong will call 10 witnesses to the stand in a case involving Baltic Sea cable damage

Posted to Maritime Reporter on January 20, 2026

After a hearing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the lawyer of the Chinese captain alleged that ten witnesses would be called to testify against him in a criminal?damage case. The Chinese captain is accused of damaging undersea cable in Baltic Sea.

Russell: China overtakes OPEC+ to become the primary oil price maker

Posted to Maritime Reporter on December 23, 2025

The conventional wisdom on the crude oil markets is that producers like OPEC+ largely control the price of crude oil by changing output levels in order to achieve a desired result. This shibboleth has been challenged by China in 2025, who used…

Russell: China overtakes OPEC+ to become the primary oil price maker

Posted to Maritime Reporter on December 22, 2025

The conventional wisdom on the crude oil markets is that producers like OPEC+ largely control the price of crude oil by adjusting output levels in order to achieve a desired result. This shibboleth has been challenged by China in 2025, who used…

China refiner Yanchang Petroleum rejects Russian oil at latest tender, traders claim

Posted to Maritime Reporter on November 11, 2025

Two traders who are familiar with the matter confirmed on Tuesday that Yanchang Petroleum, a refiner backed by the Chinese provincial government and delivering crude oil between December to mid-February is not using Russian oil. Yanchang in Shaanxi province…

EU lists two Chinese oil refineries and one trader as part of new Russia sanctions

Posted to Maritime Reporter on October 22, 2025

According to EU diplomatic sources, the 19th package against Russia of sanctions will include four companies that are involved in China's petroleum industry and circumvent Western restrictions. The package, they said, lists two independent Chinese…

China's crude storage flow slumped in September: Russell

Posted to Maritime Reporter on October 20, 2025

China's crude stockpile flow dropped dramatically in September, as lower imports combined with increased refinery processing reduced the excess that was available to store. China's crude oil surplus was 570,000 barrels a day (bpd), down from 1,01 million bpd, in September.

Analysts say that a sanctioned LNG tanker is responsible for the STS transfer off Malaysia.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on October 30, 2025

Two analytics firms report that a sanctioned LNG tanker picked up a cargo at a Russian export terminal, which was also subject to Western restrictions. The transfer appears to be the very first STS of Russian LNG sanctioned by the West, despite…

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