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Russia's fine-tuned oil item exports to Singapore to strike highest this year in May, traders state

Russia's exports of naphtha to Singapore are on track to rise to their greatest level this year in May as Russian refineries recover from drone traders, attacks and analysts approximated, with the pattern poised to continue as more capability comes online.

Singapore imports of Russian naphtha, an essential active ingredient for making petrochemicals such as plastics and textile fibers, will rise to about 415,000 metric lots in May, LSEG Research Study approximated, while consultancy FGE anticipates almost 500,000 lots.

The refinery (attack) impact subsides off through May and June, which is why we might expect greater exports from Russia, stated Armaan Ashraf, international head of gas liquids at FGE. He was referring to drone attacks by Ukraine on oil processing centers in Russia because the start of the Ukraine war.

Naphtha imports from Russia into Singapore rose in April to their highest this year at 329,955 loads. That pressed Singapore's. overall naphtha imports for April to 998,408 heaps, up from 920,626. tons a year earlier, information from Business Singapore revealed.

The higher imports reflect mixing demand for naphtha. ahead of peak gasoline demand season in summertime, a. Singapore-based petrochemical trader stated.

Naphtha can be blended directly into fuel or fine-tuned to. make blending parts to satisfy octane specs.

Rosneft's export-oriented Tuapse oil refinery, among the. largest in Russia's south, resumed processing earlier this. month, with loadings expected to rise by about 16% to 180,000. lots in May as it restarts exports, according to trade. price quotes.

Novatek, on the other hand, prepares to start test operations. for a new 3 million metric tons-per-year processing unit at its. gas condensate complex in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga in. mid-June, which might allow it to increase naphtha exports to. in between 550,000 and 600,000 loads a month from 350,000 to 370,000. heaps presently, estimations reveal.

Novatek produces naphtha mostly for Asia, including China,. Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia.

In the first week of May, Russian naphtha was around $8 per. ton more affordable than naphtha from the Middle East, the leading supplier. to Asia. The gap had narrowed to about $5 in February after Red. Sea war danger premiums increased freight costs.

For all of Asia, naphtha loadings from Russia are on track. to reach about 700,000 tons, according to trade estimates as of. May 8, compared to 950,000 lots in April. LSEG's Krystal Chung. anticipates May imports into Asia from Russia to strike a year-high of. 850,000 lots.

FGE's Ashraf said overall Russian naphtha exports into Asia. will reach 1.4-1.5 million heaps levels in June, however the danger of. more Russian refining capability being controlled remains.

Ukraine's drone attacks have actually interfered with 15% of Russia's oil. refining capability this year, according to a price quote by a NATO. official at the start of April.

Asia is structurally except naphtha and counts on. Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean and the U.S. to meet the. shortage of about 2 million loads monthly.

Russia flooded Asian markets with its naphtha last. year after Western sanctions on its oil item exports upended. trade circulations, keeping margins suppressed due to high products amid. sluggish need. Russia represented 25% total naphtha imports. into Asia in 2023, ship-tracking data from Kpler revealed.

(source: Reuters)