Tight supplies lift Mideast and Russian crude grades to multi-year highs

© Reuters.

By Florence Tan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Spot premiums for April-loading Russian crude sold in Asia jumped to their highest in more than two years, returning to pre-pandemic levels on tight supplies and robust demand, trade sources said on Wednesday.

The global supply-demand balance has tightened as production from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies are lagging behind commitments to increase output by 400,000 barrels per day each month.

Demand, on the other hand, is robust as refiners globally are cranking up operations to reap higher margins on gasoline and diesel.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has also boosted Brent prices, pushing the benchmark’s premium to Dubai to its highest since 2013 this week. The wide spread between the benchmarks is boosting Asia’s demand for Middle East and Russian grades priced off Dubai, leading spot premiums to hit multi-year highs this month. [CRU/M]

Spot premiums for Russian ESPO Blend crude exported from the Far East port of Kozmino soared to their highest in more than two years after producer Surgutneftegaz sold three cargoes via a tender, trade sources said.

The cargoes for late March to early April loading were sold at premiums of $7-$7.10 a barrel above Dubai quotes, they said, about $2 higher than last month.

ESPO crude premiums were last seen at these levels in December 2019, Refinitiv data showed.

Trading houses Mitsui and Petraco bought the cargoes, the sources said.

Similarly, spot premiums for Russian Sokol crude loading in April jumped to their highest since January 2020 after India’s ONGC Videsh sold a cargo via a tender, they added.

The cargo for April 19-25 loading was sold to Glencore (LON:GLEN) at a premium of $7.80-$7.90 a barrel to Dubai quotes, the sources said.