Oil and Gas Industry

Surging Tanker Rates Make U.S Oil Too Expensive for Asia

U.S. crude can’t compete now in Asia because freight rates have made it too expensive.
Due to the higher freight costs, WTI Crude is now $1 a barrel more expensive than Abu Dhabi’s Murban, versus small discounts or parity in prices last week.
For example, India is looking to buy more term supplies from Saudi Arabia and from West African producers as the world’s third-largest crude oil importer is always on the hunt for bargains for its crude supply.

Oil Demand Balance More Bullish Than 2023

Commodity analysts at Standard Chartered have reported that silver and distillates are the only commodities whose investor positioning has changed significantly from a year ago.
Standard Chartered: oil could be undervalued by at least $10 per barrel.
Supply and demand balances are significantly more bullish compared to a year ago, when an outsized January surplus of 3.5 mb/d led to a large 1.6 mb/d Q1-2023 surplus.