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Russell: Crude oil imports to Asia from the ROI grew in June, but there is still uncertainty.

Russell: Crude oil imports to Asia from the ROI grew in June, but there is still uncertainty.
Russell: Crude oil imports to Asia from the ROI grew in June, but there is still uncertainty.

Asia's crude oil imports by sea?rose slightly in June, but remained near their lowest levels in over a decade due to the impact of the?Iran Conflict on shipments from Middle East.

Data from commodity analysts Kpler show that the top importing region will receive 20,71 million barrels of oil per day in June. This is up a fraction from the?20.39million bpd received in May and almost 2 million bpd more than the 18,77million bpd achieved in April.

The imports of Asia remain well below the average 26.79 millions bpd for the three-month period prior to the United States' and Israel's attacks on Iran on February 28.

The war resulted in a closure of the Strait of Hormuz - the narrow waterway that connects Iran and Oman, through which 20% of crude oil and refined products were transported before the conflict.

The United States and Iran agreed to a 60-day truce that was to result in the reopening the Strait. However, vessel movements are still?well below the pre-war level due to Iranian attacks on certain ships.

The Strait of Hormuz has seen a recent increase in crude volumes, but Kpler estimates that only 2.79 millions bpd of oil will have been exported in June. This is up from just 881,000 barrels per day in May, but still less than half of the average 15.58 million barrels per day for the three-month period prior to the beginning of the conflict.

Unresolved is the question of whether or not crude exports to the Middle East will return to their pre-war level, and how long it will take.

PRICES SEE SOLUTION

Brent contracts ended at $73.15 per barrel on Monday. This is only slightly more than the $72.48 close from February 27, just before hostilities began.

The prices of refined products in Asia are a little different. They remain above the pre-war level as refiners process expensive crude bought from outside the Middle East during the heights of the conflict.

Singapore?gasoil - the main component of diesel - closed at $111.15 per barrel on Monday. This is a 22% increase from the previous close on February 27, which was $91.42.

Gasoline On Monday, oil finished at $100.42 per barrel. This is a 26.6% increase from the $79.30 it was on February 27.

As more crude oil arrives in Asia, it is likely that the price of refined products will fall in the coming weeks.

How quickly the import volume returns to pre-conflict levels will determine how much of a difference there is.

The Strait of Hormuz is still a wildcard, with Iran determined to exert control in spite of the opposition of the Trump administration, Gulf crude exporters like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Tanker owners and insurers will continue to be concerned about the safety of the Strait, causing them to restrict their movements.

What China does over the next few months is another wildcard.

By reducing imports dramatically, the world's largest crude oil importer has reduced the impact of restricted flows through Strait?of?Hormuz.

Kpler predicts that China's seaborne landings will be only 5.80 million bpd for June, down from 6.80 million in May. This is the weakest two-month period since November 2015.

The average seaborne imports of China for the three-month period prior to the conflict was 11.39 millions bpd.

China's refiners are likely to start purchasing cargoes once more, but only after August.

The level of uncertainty on the crude oil market in Asia is still high.

Will the crude market tighten if China returns to buying the same volume of crude as it did prior to the Iran War, particularly if the Strait Of Hormuz flows do not increase as much as futures markets appear to expect?

What will happen to crude oil supply when the current surge in stockpile releases from countries like the United States and Japan stops?

The crude oil market has shown remarkable adaptability and resilience in spite of the disruption brought on by the Iran War. It is unclear whether this trend will continue.

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These are the views of the columnist, an author for.

(source: Reuters)