Europe Distillates-Diesel cracks slide to six-month low as ARA stocks jump

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Northwest European diesel barge profit margins fell by 8% to about $26 a barrel on Thursday, their lowest since early August, after data showed that regional stocks rose to a two-year high.


* Gasoil stocks held in independent storage in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage area rose by more than 7% to their highest since early March 2021, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed on Thursday.
* Gasoil stocks reached 2.5 million tonnes, rising as importers in the region increased Russian purchases before a European Union ban on Russian oil product imports came into force on Feb. 5, said Insights Global's Lars van Wageningen.
* Demand for gasoil up the Rhine river dropped on the week, Wageningen said, as inland storage filled up.
* U.S. distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 2.9 million barrels last week to 120.5 million barrels, its highest in a year, EIA data showed. Analysts had expected a 0.1 million-barrel rise.
* The impact of the EU ban on Russian refined product imports, as well as a price cap for Russian diesel, are still emerging.
* Refinitiv data, however, already show northwest Europe is no longer a major destination for Russian diesel this month, with half of its Feb. 1-8 loadings bound for Turkey.
* Ship-to-ship destinations such as Kalamata, Gibraltar and Ceuta are also appearing for Russian diesel exports.
* But diesel flows into Europe remain high.


* Around 4.77 million tonnes of diesel is already scheduled to arrive into Europe this month, compared with a total 7.73 million tonnes in January, according to Refinitiv analysis.


* European refiners' crude intake in January was up 6.3% from a year earlier at 9.75 million barrels per day, as they boosted runs ahead of the EU ban on Russian oil product imports, data from Euroilstock showed on Thursday.
* Middle distillate stocks, which include diesel, gas oil and heating oil, were up 3% from December, but nearly 2% below January 2022 levels, the data showed. Trades Bids Offers Previous Seller Buyer Session
0.1 GO March
Barge -$24
diffs fob
ARA per
tonne 0.1 GO
Cargo
diffs cif
NWE per
tonne
<GO-CND-NWE
>
0.1 GO Feb
Cargo -$13
diffs cif
Med per
tonne
<GO-CND-MED
>
50ppm barge Feb
diffs fob -$2
ARA per
tonne
<GO50PPM-ED
-ARA>



Diesel Trades Bids Offers Previous Seller Buyer Session
Diesel Feb Feb Shell, Vitol barge flat, -$3.50 Glencor
diffs fob March e
ARA -$3
Per tonne
<ULSD10-BD-
ARA>
Diesel Feb Feb AGT, BP Vitol, cargo +$9.50 +$5.75 Totsa diffs cif -$10.5 (Amsterd
NWE 0 am)
Per tonne (Amste
<ULSD10-ANY rdam)
D-NWE>
Diesel
cargo
diffs cif
Med
per tonne
<DL-CIFD-ME
D>



Jet fuel Trades Bids Offers Previous Seller Buyer Session
Jet fuel
barge
diffs fob
FARAG
per tonne
<JET-BD-ARA
>
Jet fuel March
cargo +$70
cif NWE per
tonne
<JET-CD-NWE
>
Fuel Oil Trades Bids Offers Previous Sell Buy Session
0.5% barge $562 $558-$56 Trafig Glenco fob ARA per 8 ura re, tonne Vitol 3.5% barge $389 $382 Gunvor BP, fob ARA per , Penins tonne Aramco ula ICE Low Sulphur Gasoil Previous Diesel ARA Barge $25.9 $28.6 Crack(per barrel)
Diesel spread (Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Messaging: ahmad.ghaddar.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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