Category: ARA stocks

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub fell marginally in the week to 2 August, according to Insights Global.

A dip in fuel oil inventories drove the downturn.

Fuel oil stocks at hub fell, despite less workable arbitrage economics for product moving east to Asia-Pacific, Insights Global said. High-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) supply is tighter at ARA than in Singapore.

Tankers discharged fuel oil at ARA from the US, the UK, Colombia and Poland and departed for west Africa and the Mediterranean. Demand in southern Europe is more on the bunkering side than refining, according to Insights Global.

Gasoil stocks at ARA rose in the week, with lower demand for diesel up the Rhine river. Gasoil arrived at the hub from the US, Saudi Arabia, India and Norway and smaller cargoes departed for northwest Europe, west Africa and Poland.

At the lighter end of the barrel, naphtha inventories fell on the week. The dip was mainly due to product moving into the gasoline blending pool, Insights Global said, with demand still muted from the petrochemical sector. Russian exports have shrunk, pushing buyers in Asia-Pacific to look to the Mediterranean for supply, it said. Naphtha unloaded at ARA from Algeria, the US and Norway and departed for the US.

Gasoline stocks declined, mostly thanks to transatlantic demand. Gasoline arrived at ARA from Scandinavia, Spain and northwest Europe and left for the US, west Africa, Germany and Canada.

Reporter: Georgina McCartney

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub rose in the week to 26 July, a four-week high, according to consultancy Insights Global.

A rise in gasoil inventories drove the increase.

Tankers carrying diesel arrived at the hub from India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UK and the US, and departed for northwest Europe, Spain, Denmark and Sweden.

Fuel oil stocks at ARA also increased.

The arbitrage route to Singapore was open, with some product departing for the southeast Asian bunkering hub. But bunkering demand at ARA was weak, according to Insights Global, and a rise in imports from northwest Europe, the Baltics and Greece allowed stock levels to grow.

At the lighter end of the barrel, naphtha stocks rebounded to a five-week high, rising. Demand for the product as a blending component in the gasoline pool was lower, and demand from the petrochemical sector was weak.

A contango structure in the naphtha paper market may have further incentivised keeping product in stock. Naphtha discharged at the northwest European hub from Algeria, the Mediterranean, Norway and the US, and while smaller amounts departed for the UK.

Bucking the trend, gasoline inventories decreased on the week, falling.

Demand for US-bound cargoes firmed, according to Insights Global, cutting away at European stock levels. Gasoline arrived at ARA from France, Georgia, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey, and left for the US, west Africa, and Brazil.

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub shed in the week to 19 July, according to consultancy Insights Global. The downturn was driven by a drop in fuel oil inventories on the week, their lowest since the first week of June.

Fuel oil stocks fell as the arbitrage route to Singapore was open, facilitating flows out of Europe, according to Insights Global. Large volumes departed ARA for Singapore, while smaller volumes were bound for Denmark, Poland and Spain.

Fuel oil arrived at the hub from France, the UK, the US and Lithuania.

Bucking the broader trend, road fuel stocks grew on the week. Gasoil inventories gained on the week. But stocks had hit a more than six-month low last week, and levels this week remain depressed on the month.

Demand up the Rhine was weaker, owing to low water levels restricting volumes able to move. But a stockdraw could be expected, with demand rising during the summer season.

Gasoil arrived at the hub from Kuwait, India, the Mediterranean and the UK. Smaller volumes departed for west Africa, Scandinavia and the UK.

Gasoline inventories also grew week on week. Blending activity was reportedly strong at the hub, with larger volumes of components arriving and causing come congestion at Amsterdam, according to Insights Global. Gasoline discharged at ARA from Algeria, France, Sweden, Turkey and the UK, while volumes left for Canada and France.

Naphtha stocks fell on the week, down, mostly owing to gasoline blending, Insights Global said. Demand from the petrochemical sector remains weak however.

Cargoes carrying naphtha unloaded at the hub from Algeria, Norway, Spain, the UK and the US while no product left by vessel.

Jet inventories also fell on the week.

Firm seasonal demand pressured stock levels during the summer holidays. Cargoes carrying jet arrived from South Korea while larger volumes left for the UK.

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub shed in the week to 12 July, according to Insights Global.

Gasoline inventories were down, driving the fall.

Gasoline inventories fell with an increase in transatlantic voyages, according to Insights Global. Gasoline arrived at ARA from northwest Europe, the Mediterranean and the Baltic, while product departed for Brazil, the US, Canada and Ghana.

Gasoil stocks at the hub also fell on the week, their lowest since the end of 2022.

Stocks at the hub shrank in part because of strong export demand to northwest Europe. Inventories fell despite weaker demand for gasoil up the Rhine, owing to low water levels restricting volumes, according to Insights Global.

Water levels have been at their shallowest over the past week since December.

Delays for barges to discharge at the hub are currently at three to five days, according to Insights Global, which has in turn reduced barge availability.

But it rained in the region yesterday, and water levels subsequently reached a more normal level for the season, so an increase in barge movements could occur next week, according to Insights Global. Vessels carrying gasoil discharged at the hub from Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK and Bahrain while cargoes departed for France, Germany, the UK and Poland.

Bucking the trend, naphtha stocks at the hub rose.

Inventories probably grew as demand from the petrochemical sector remains reduced by more competitive propane prices, and low gasoline blending activity. Imports were firm this week, with product arriving from Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and the US, while no naphtha left the hub.

Demand for product into the hub probably remained strong on the expectation that blending activity will rise in the coming weeks, according to Insights Global.

At the heavier end of the barrel, fuel oil stocks shedding the week.

Inventories rose as the Singapore arbitrage route appeared less workable, allowing stocks to build. Fuel oil was discharged at the hub from Algeria, the US and Scandinavia, while product departed for west Africa, the Mediterranean and the UK.

Reporter: Georgina McCartney

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub inched lower in the week to 5 July, according to consultancy Insights Global.

Gasoline stocks made gains on the week, growing.

Blending activity was higher on the week, according to Insights Global, as more blending components arrived in the region. Demand pull into west Africa appeared stronger on the week, after the Nigerian government cut its gasoline subsidies, affecting gasoline demand in the country.

Vessels unloaded gasoline at the hub from Finland, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and the UK and left for Canada, France the Mediterranean and Norway.

Naphtha stocks declined on the week, stocks appeared to be lower on the year.

Market participants noted that there may be tighter supply in the region as a result of higher blending demand and lower import volumes into the region. Naphtha cargoes arrived from Algeria, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Spain, but none left.

Gasoil inventories fell the most in outright terms, the lowest since December 2022. More cargoes were spotted going to the west African region, while demand in northwest Europe appeared slower, according to Insights Global.

Supply tightness may intensify in the coming sessions following a fire on 5 July at the Neustadt section of the Bayernoil complex in southern Germany. Market participants expect short-term shortages of middle distillates and less spot market activity.

At the heavier end of the barrel, fuel oil inventories were down.

The LSFO arbitrage to Singapore remained open on the week with at least one vessel leaving Europe to go east, according to Insights Global. Fuel oil arrived from Denmark, Chile, Germany, Poland and the UK, and left for Canada, Denmark, France, Singapore and the UK.

Reporter: Mykyta Hryshchuk

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and trading hub edged lower over the past week, driven by a drop in gasoil inventories.

Total product stocks stood on 21 June, down from a week earlier, according to consultancy Insights Global.

Gasoil stocks declined, the lowest level since January.

Gasoil arrived in ARA from Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the UAE, while larger volumes departed for Denmark, Poland and the UK. No gasoil has loaded for ARA from the Indian port of Sikka this month, for the first time since June last year, according to data from Vortexa.

Indian private-sector refiner Reliance Industries (RIL) declared force majeure at its main export terminal at Sikka earlier this month because of a cyclone.

Another factor behind the draw in ARA gasoil stocks is strong German demand, according to Insights Global, with local production slow to recover following maintenance at several refineries.

The gasoil stockdraw was partially offset by a rise in ARA gasoline inventories, which gained on the week. It follows a rise in US gasoline inventories last week, according to the latest EIA data, although the economics of shipping European gasoline to the US are improving.

Clean tanker rates from the UK Continent to the US Atlantic coast fell on 21 June.

Reporter: Georgina McCartney

Independently-held oil product inventories at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub shed in the week to 14 June, according to consultancy Insights Global.

The downturn was driven by a drop in gasoil stocks, which fell on the week.

Diesel inventories may have contracted on the week owing to unplanned outages at Europe’s biggest refinery, Shell’s Pernis refinery in Rotterdam.

One crude distillation unit (CDU) and two vacuum distillation units (VDU) were confirmed as offline, reducing the site’s diesel production via crude runs and potentially hydrocracker runs with less high-sulphur VGO produced in the VDUs.

Vessels discharged gasoil at ARA from China, Saudi Arabia and northwest Europe, while volumes departed for the UK, France and Uruguay.

Gasoline stocks at the hub also fell on the week, the largest week on week drop since September. Inventories fell on firm northwest European demand this week, according to Insights Global, with lower local production owing to refinery turnarounds in Germany.

Smaller volumes departed for the US, with exports pressured by less workable transatlantic arbitrage economics, market participants said. US gasoline stocks gained in the week to 9 June, according to EIA data, reaching a six-week high.

Gasoline arrived at ARA from Scandinavia, France and Italy, while product was exported to the US, west Africa and Brazil.

Naphtha stocks also fell.

Gasoline blending activity at the ARA hub has been firm, according to Insights Global, cutting away at naphtha inventories. A cargo departed ARA bound for New York, an unusual flow according to Insights Global. Demand from the petrochemical sector was low on the week, with alternative cracking feedstocks propane and butane continuing to price at a discount to naphtha.

Naphtha arrived at ARA from west Africa, Spain and the UK while volumes left for the US.

Bucking the trend, fuel oil stocks at ARA grew on the week.

The arbitrage route to Singapore was shut, according to Insights Global, for both high and low-sulphur fuel oil, hindering exports. Vessels unloaded fuel oil at ARA from Scandinavia, northwest Europe and Poland, while product left the hub for west Africa, Spain and Estonia.

Reporter: Georgina McCartney

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub edged up in the week to 7 June, according to consultancy Insights Global. The rise in gasoil inventories drove in the increase, settling and marking their highest level since 17 May.

Gasoil stocks at ARA built on the week owing to reduced demand for product up the Rhine, according to Insights Global, with demand hindered by high freight rates.

Barge rates have risen as water levels on the Rhine have dropped, restricting volumes able to move along the river. Cargoes carrying gasoil discharged at the hub from Saudi Arabia, the US, Greece and India while product departed for France, Germany and the UK.

Meanwhile gasoline inventories edged down, shedding.

Stocks of the lighter road fuel likely fell as demand for gasoline up the Rhine to meet inland German consumers remained relatively firm, especially with delays to the restarting of some refineries following maintenance.

But gasoline stocks shrunk marginally although the beginning of the US summer driving season traditionally pulls European gasoline across the Atlantic. Higher freight rates likely hindered export opportunities to the US in the week to 7 June, making arbitrage economics less workable.

Vessels carrying gasoline departed ARA for the US, west Africa and northwest Europe while product arrived from Denmark, Spain and the UK.

Naphtha stocks at the hub rose.

Product inventories grew as propane remains a more economic feedstock for the petrochemical sector, Insights Global said. Gasoline blending activity is also slow at ARA, according to Insights Global, allowing naphtha supply to rise.

Naphtha arrived at the hub from Algeria, northwest Europe and Israel, while no cargoes departed.

Reporter: Georgina McCartney

Higher demand for road fuels weighed on Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub in the week to 31 May, according to consultancy Insights Global. Total stocks held declined.

Gasoil stocks declined in the week to 31 May, its lowest since 27 April when stocks amounted. Inland demand remained strong with German traders filling up their tanks ahead of summer. Shell’s Pernis refinery in Rotterdam appears to be back online after an extensive maintenance period, according to market participants. Gasoil cargoes arrived from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the US, and departed to France, Germany, the Mediterranean, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

Gasoline inventories marginally increased in the week to 31 May, as more products arrived in the region, higher than the week prior, according to Vortexa.

Export demand appeared stable as the arbitrage to the US remained open and some cargoes were seen heading towards Nigeria. Demand up the Rhine river was strong as cargoes went into northern and southern Germany, with Miro’s Karlsruhe refinery remaining offline.

Cargoes arrived from Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Singapore, Sweden and the UK and left for Brazil, Canada, France and Germany.

On the lighter side of the barrel, naphtha’s inventories went up.

Gasoline blending demand was slower in the week to 31 May while the petrochemical sector switched more towards rival propane feedstocks. Naphtha cargoes arrived from Norway, Spain, the UK and the US, while none left.

Jet fuel stocks declined in the week to 31 May. Demand appears stronger as is typical seasonally, and no cargoes arriving to the ARA has contributed to the fall in stocks.

At the heavier side of the barrel, fuel oil stocks declined, the lowest since 27 April.

The arbitrage for HSFO to Singapore appeared open, while most cargoes exported were destined for Gibraltar. Fuel oil cargoes arrived from Denmark, France and Georgia and left for the Mediterranean and Denmark.

Reporter: Mykyta Hryshchuk

Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub declined in the week to 24 May, mostly dragged down by lower road fuel stocks, according to consultancy Insights Global.

Gasoline inventories declined in the week to 24 May, as more export demand emerged, according to Insights Global. This comes at a time of the fast-approaching driving season, which will support blending feedstocks in the following weeks.

Inland demand remains strong as refineries in southern Germany remain offline, dragging more product from ARA. Cargoes arrived in ARA from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK, and departed to Colombia, the Faroe Islands, France, Turkey, the US and west Africa.

Gasoil stocks fell the most, in outright terms, on the week, the lowest since 27 April when stocks totalled. Demand in Europe is quite high while imports are still strong, according to Insights Global. Gasoil cargoes arrived from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UK and the US, and left for France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

On the lighter side of the barrel, naphtha’s inventories fell, which is lower on the year. Demand for naphtha is mostly for gasoline blending as seasonal demand is shifting the market.

Petrochemical demand remained weak in Europe as producers are cautious in ramping up production in the wake of economic headwinds in Europe. Naphtha cargoes arrived from Algeria, Norway, the UK and the US but none left.

Jet fuel stocks were the only ones to rise in the week.

Market demand is rising, as is usual for this time of the year, but this appears to be not enough to match supply. Jet cargoes arrived from Kuwait and left for the UK.

At the heavier side of the barrel, fuel oil stocks declined on the week, the lowest since the week to 27 April. The arbitrage to Singapore appeared open on the week, according to Insights Global. Fuel oil cargoes arrived from Brazil, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy and Mexico, and left for Denmark, France, Italy and the UK.

Reporter: Mykyta Hryshchuk