Refined Products








Asia

North America

Oil & Gas

Chevron beats analyst expectations to record highest quarterly profit in six-years

Chevron reported its highest quarterly profits in at least six years on Friday. The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has impacted the world energy market, which is boosting profits of the largest 'oil' companies. LSEG data shows that adjusted earnings of $12 billion or $6.06 per common share beats the average analyst forecast of $5.56. These results were similar to those of European oil giants TotalEnergies, Shell and others who also reported record profits in the second quarter due to higher oil prices. Eimear 'Bonner, Chevron Chief Finance Officer, said in an exclusive interview that despite the current geopolitical unrest and...

Fossil Fuels

Oil prices fall as markets watch for clues about Gulf supplies

The oil prices lost some of their gains on Thursday despite the escalating attacks across the Gulf. Investors' attention shifted to the supply flow through the major chokepoints within the region. Brent futures dropped 96 cents or 1.06% to $89.78 per barrel as of 0418 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), crude oil, fell 64 cents or 0.76% to $83.82 per barrel. Brent and WTI both rose by 6.56% during the previous session, one of the biggest spikes in the Iran War. This was after the pause of hostilities that occurred on Tuesday following a 5% drop. The prices of...

Energy Markets

Oil prices continue to fall as tankers continue to travel through Middle East conflict zones

Oil prices lost some of their gains as oil tankers 'continued their journey out of the Middle East despite the escalating tensions in the region, and the U.S. - Iran war spreading beyond the main fronts. Brent?futures dropped 79 cents or?0.9% to $87.30 per barrel at 0015 GMT. ?U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is the most widely traded oil in the United States, fell 76 cents or 0.9% to $83.70 per barrel. Brent closed up 7.91% and WTI was up 6.56% during the previous session, in one of most dramatic spikes in the Iran War. This reversed a...

Oil & Gas

Cenovus increases its annual production forecast on the strength of oil sands performance

Cenovus Energy increased?its production outlook for 2026 on Wednesday.?This was after reporting an increase in quarterly profit, as higher?oil price sands output and record oil prices helped boost earnings. The Canadian oil producer increased its full-year upstream production forecast by 25,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) to between ?970,000 and 1.01 million boepd, citing stronger-than-expected performance across ?its oil sands assets and optimized turnaround activity. Cenovus and other integrated oil companies are benefiting from the global fuel market that has been impacted by the Iran War. The war has slowed down supply, pushed up prices, and increased earnings...

Energy Markets

HF Sinclair posts highest profit since 2022, plans lubricants separation

HF Sinclair posted its highest quarterly 'profit' since the Russian invasion of Ukraine rocked global oil markets a few years ago. The company also announced that it would'separate" its lubricants & specialties unit into an independent publicly listed company. The U.S. refiner is also beating second-quarter profit expectations. It wants to unlock more value from its specialty products business, which has higher margins, while returning cash to investors. It increased its quarterly dividends by 5%. In premarket trading, shares of the Dallas-based company rose 6.8%. U.S. refining companies have been the most successful in the?war against Iran, as foreign buyers...

Refined Products

Weekend Reads: Jamie Dimon, Jamie Dimon's battery recycling and the Kill Zone

Are you looking for inspiration? Weekend Reads is a weekly feature that highlights what the Open Interest team has been reading, watching and listening to. The Open Interest team shares what they've been watching, listening to and reading. This week's selections include the emergence of drone warfare, Europe's AI ambitions and Jamie Dimon's worries about long-dated bonds at JPMorgan Chase. This weekend we are reading... RON BOUSSO, ROI Energy Columnist. He has produced an amazing, frightening and visually stunning piece on Ukraine's "kill zone" with drones, which has changed the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine. CLYDE RUSSELL is a ROI...

Mineral Resources

Investors monitor Mideast developments as oil prices fall and gold gains.

Gold ticked up a bit?on friday, reversing previous losses, as oil fell below $100?per barrel mark. Investors are watching developments in the Middle East to get a fresh perspective on inflationary risks driven by energy and the outlook for U.S. rates. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $4,055.38 an ounce as of 0925 GMT after falling 2% Thursday to $4.047.26. U.S. gold futures August delivery rose 0.2%, to $4.058.10. "Gold is now slightly positive after moving from a negative position earlier, driven by lower oil prices. This has reduced pressure on the Fed's rate-setting," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. He...

Refined Products

Honeywell Technologies increases its 2026 profit forecast for the first time since it split.

Honeywell Technologies increased its full-year profit forecast for 2026 on Thursday, helped in part by the resilient demand for industrial and building automation product, despite a quarterly profit that fell short of analysts' expectations. The shares of Honeywell, which reported its first earnings after Honeywell’s three-way division, rose by more than 5% in morning trading. Honeywell's Building Automation division led the demand, with organic sales up?9%, and orders up 13%. This was driven by double-digit increases in data centers, hospitals, and hospitality. Sales of Industrial Automation products grew?4% organically, and orders increased?10%. This was largely due to the strong demand...

Energy Markets

Albertsons reduces annual forecasts and ramps up investment; shares tumble

Albertsons lowered its annual core sales forecasts and profits on Thursday. It said it would increase investments in its digital business and prices to better compete for cash-strapped consumers. This sent its shares down by 18% just before the bell. The higher gas and food costs have led to a shift in spending habits among U.S. consumers, who are now more selective and prefer private label and discount grocery stores such as Aldi and Walmart. This has hurt sales for companies like Albertsons. Albertsons CEO Susan Morris stated that "core grocery faced increased pressure due to softer industry unit trend...

Refined Products

Dow surpasses its quarterly profit forecasts on the back of higher polyethylene prices and a boost in savings target

Dow Inc. surpassed Wall Street expectations for adjusted second-quarter?profits on Thursday. This was due to higher prices as a result of'supply shocks' from the Middle East conflict, and cost reductions. In premarket trading, shares of the chemical company rose by 2.4%. The tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, following the escalation of U.S.-Iran conflicts have caused disruptions to oil and petrochemical flow. This has led to a tightening of chemical supply globally and a rise in the price of plastics and other polymers. Dow has also been ?reevaluating its ownership of non-product-producing assets across its global portfolio, including power and...

Oil Refineries

Russell: India's rising refined product exports help ease Asia's fuel crisis

Can India do for Asia's refined-fuels market what China did? China drastically cut its crude imports to a decade low in June in response to the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. This freed up oil for buyers who were struggling to find cargoes due to the 'effective closure of Strait of Hormuz. India has taken a different approach, purchasing Russian crude oil and increasing?exports?of refined products in order to offset the lower shipments of refineries from the Middle East and Russia. According to commodity analysts Kpler, India's light and middle distillates exports are expected to hit 1.55 million barrels...

Energy Markets

Oil prices slightly rise after US announces new strikes against Iran

Early trading on Wednesday saw oil prices rise as concerns about further supply disruptions increased after U.S. forces said they began attacking Iranian military targets for an 11th night in a row and Kuwait reported attacks by Iranian drones. Brent 'crude 'futures increased 0.55% or 50 cents to $91.51 as markets opened on the third day of trading. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude rose 0.36% or 30 cents to $84.64 during low volume trades. The oil price settled at its highest level in five weeks on Tuesday, after U.S. forces struck targets in western and southern Iran. Iran also attacked...

Europe

Energy Markets

The ECB blog claims that the rise in fuel prices is largely due to oil refining margins.

The rise in refinery margins, which are now at near-record levels, has contributed to recent increases in fuel prices across the euro zone. A 'further increase in margins is still possible in August before a retreat occurs. Euro zone inflation jumped to 2.9% in the month of July, from a level around 2% prior to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. The persistently high oil prices, close to $90 a barrel, suggest that the price pressures may?intensify, forcing the ECB into raising interest rates. Refining margins are also up, despite the rise in oil prices. Diesel refining margins per litre were...

Fossil Fuels

Kyrgyzstan accepts Russian fuel despite shortage

Local media reported that First Deputy Premier Daniyar Amangeldiev had agreed to a monthly fuel supply of 100,000 metric tons with Russia. Reports stated that fuel would be purchased at the current market exchange rate. Kyrgyzstan relies on Russian imports for over?90% its gasoline and diesel, but the supply has been in question due to Ukrainian drone attacks?on Russian refining facilities and a subsequent shortage. Kyrgyz officials have taken a number of measures in recent weeks to stabilize the fuel market. These include a temporary price control, a ban on exports of petroleum products, and the removal of state regulation...

Refined Products

Clariant exceeds expectations for core profits driven by Care Chemicals unit

Clariant, a Swiss manufacturer of specialty chemicals, reported an adjusted core profit higher than expected in the second quarter. The company cited a'strong performance' from its Care Chemicals unit during a volatile business environment. Clariant's adjusted earnings, before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, rose 1.5% compared to a year earlier, reaching 171.1 million Swiss Francs ($211.99 millions). This was higher than the 152 million Swiss Francs forecast by analysts in a poll provided by the company. In a press release, CEO Conrad Keijzer stated that "the Middle East conflict is continuing to have a significant impact on our Catalysts business."...

Western Europe

Middle East

Energy Markets

China raises retail prices for gasoline and diesel amid renewed Middle East conflict

The National Development and Reform Commission announced a 'raised retail price cap on gasoline and diesel in China from Saturday. This is due to the sharp volatility of?international crude prices. According to NDRC 'price data, the retail ceiling prices of gasoline and diesel are set to increase by 685 yuan (US $101.54) and $655 yuan, respectively. This represents an increase of 14% to 15% over the previous adjustment made before the Iran War. This is the second adjustment following the renewed conflict between the United States, Iran and other countries this month and the blockade of Strait of Hormuz -...

Energy Markets

Oil drops more than $1 despite greater flows

The oil price fell on Friday, but remained on track to a?monthly rise of around a fifth? as more supplies flowed via crucial maritime chokepoints. This was despite the?absence of major breakthroughs? in talks between the?United States? and Iran? Brent futures dropped $1.03 or 1.2% to $88 per barrel at 0215 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), however, fell $1.50 or 1.8% to $82.09 per barrel. Both benchmarks were expected to increase by about 20% on a monthly basis. Analyst at ING, Daniel?Hynes said that signs of increased flow in the Strait of Hormuz are 'offsetting' Middle East tension....

Refined Products

US inflation slows down in June but is likely to reverse amid Middle East conflict

The U.S. Inflation rate slowed down in June but it is only temporary as renewed hostilities are raising oil prices. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Commerce Department reported that the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index increased by 3.7% over the past 12 months, after advancing an unrevised 4.1% during May. This was the largest gain since April 2023. PCE inflation increased in line with expectations. The PCE Price Index fell 0.1% month-over-month, its lowest reading since April 2020. It had risen 0.5% in May. These data were also included in the government’s second-quarter?estimate gross domestic product. This was...

Refined Products

Sources say that Russia will extend the ban on diesel exports but it could be lifted quickly if conditions improve.

Two sources who are familiar with the discussions on Wednesday said that Russia is planning to extend its diesel export ban by one month. However, the restriction could be lifted mid-August, if domestic supply improves. The ban was introduced by Russia from July 8 until July 31, as part of an overall package of measures designed to support the domestic market for fuel after repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries caused fuel shortages and price increases. Moscow has already placed restrictions on the export of jet fuel and gasoline. Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister, said last week that...

Jet Fuel

IIR note: Saudi Aramco closes Jizan oil refining after attack

Saudi Aramco closed its Jizan oil refinery, which produces 400,000 barrels per day in Saudi Arabia, on July 27, following an attack on the facility by Yemeni Houthi militants. A note seen by revealed that this was due to an attack on Saturday by Yemen's Houthi terrorists. The market is already constrained by the tight fuel supply in the world, as well as disruptions from the Middle East and Russia's ban on diesel exports. The outage has also had a significant impact on the refinery profit margins, which have reached'record highs' in certain regions. The note stated that the attack...

Refined Products

Russell: Crude oil futures prices are a measure of market adaptability and not a sign of Iran peace.

Since the beginning of the Iran War, there has been a debate about whether crude oil futures accurately reflect?the stress in the physical markets for oil and refined products or if the are blindly 'optimistic' that peace is on the horizon. The Iran War between the United States of America and Iran continues on its volatile and unpredictable course, with renewed hope that there is a chance for a new pause in the?reverse strikes. This flicker of optimism led Brent futures to fall in the early Asian trading on Monday. The price fell by nearly 5%, reaching around $92.06. The...

Energy Markets

US imports the first fuel oil cargoes via Syria as Iraq uses a new export route

According to two sources and shipping data, the United States is now importing fuel oil from Iraq via Syria. This comes as Iraq continues to expand its?Mediterranean trade route, which was established following disruptions in Gulf trade routes earlier this summer. This alternative route shows that'shippers are looking for ways to circumnavigate Strait of Hormuz which has been 'effectively closed since several months and hindering Gulf oil imports due to the Iran War. According to Kpler Shipping Data, three Aframax tanks loaded fuel oil in Syria's Mediterranean Port of Baniyas from June to July, for delivery to U.S. Gulf Coast....

Jet Fuel

China's refined oil product exports in June are up from May despite export restrictions

China's refined oil product exports in June improved over May but fell from the same period in last year, amid export restrictions that began in mid-March in order to protect domestic supply after the Iran War. China is Asia's biggest fuel exporter, and the increased export allowance will ease tight supplies because regional refiners have curtailed production due to war-related oil shortages. China's refined product exports to Hong Kong and Macau, including gasoline and diesel, totaled 643,712 tons. This is a slight increase of 4% from last June. Exports of refined oil products from China to other regions than Hong...

Fossil Fuels

US pump prices now exceed $4 on renewed Middle East fighting

As renewed hostilities between?U.S. Iran and the United States have further?disrupted energy flows across the?Strait?of Hormuz. This is a vital route for global oil supply. Since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran at the beginning of February, the national average retail gas prices have increased by more than 30%. According to AAA data, the average pump price for Monday was $4.0030 per gallon. Last time the $4 mark was reached, it was in late March, when Iran stopped traffic through the Strait. In June, prices fell below this threshold after the U.S. signed an agreement with Iran...

Oil & Gas Refining

Sources say that China refineries are opting for less expensive crude oil in order to reduce their fuel oil consumption.

Industry sources say China's fuel demand will take a long time to recover after its imports hit a record low. Refiners reduced production and opted for cheaper crude as a result of the U.S. - Iran war. China's low demand for high-sulphur oil (HSFO), one of Asia’s largest importers, is expected to limit prices. This is despite the fact that the market has strengthened after Washington and Tehran intensified their attacks on the Middle East disrupting Gulf supply through the Strait of Hormuz. LSEG data show that the Asian refiners' margins for 380 centistoke HSFO rose to a discount of...

Crude Oil

As hostilities in the Middle East worsen, oil prices are rising.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after?President Donald Trump reimposed his naval blockade against all Iranian ports and Tehran launched attacks on U.S. Infrastructure in the region. Brent futures rose?99 cents or 1.2% to $85.72 per barrel at 0400 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 64 cents or 0.8% to $79.98 per barrel. Tuesday, oil prices rose 2% to a new one-month high as attacks intensified a supply disruption along the Strait of Hormuz. This is where a fifth of all the world's liquefied gas and oil passed before the U.S./Israeli war on Iran. "While the physical market for oil is...

Oil Refineries

The US pump price may soon return to $4

Americans could soon see gas prices above $4 per gallon as renewed hostilities have led to a rise in energy prices by paralyzing the Strait of Hormuz. This is a vital route for global oil supplies. GasBuddy's fuel price tracking service showed that the national average gasoline price on Tuesday was $3.84 per gallon. This is up 9.8 cents compared to a week earlier. Prices of gasoline are up by 22.2% on an annual basis. The high price of gasoline has become a political headache to President Donald Trump, and the Republican Party. They will be soon campaigning for their...