Global Editor, Base Oil News

Iain Pocock

Global Editor

Global Base Oils and Lubricants Markets

Base Oil News

Base Oil News focuses on the interplay between fundamentals and prices in the global base oils and lubricants markets.

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Commodities

<ul><li>US Group II base oils price-premium to vacuum gasoil trends higher in recent weeks compared with Q1 2025, even with dip in premium in mid-May.</li><li>Group II domestic/export price premium trends higher after holding in relatively narrow range from mid-Nov 2024 to end-Q1 2025.</li><li>Narrow range contrasts with steeper fall in Group II export price-premium to VGO in Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, followed by sharper recovery from end-Q1 2024.</li></ul>

US Group II base oils price-premium to vacuum gasoil trends higher in recent weeks compared with Q1 2025, even with dip in premium in mid-May.Group II domestic/export price premium trends higher after holding in relatively narrow range from mid-Nov 2024 to end-Q1 2025.Narrow range contrasts with steeper fall in Group II export price-premium to VGO in Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, followed by sharper recovery from end-Q1 2024.

Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 19 May

<ul><li>Asia’s heavy-grade base oils prices hold firm versus feedstock/gasoil prices.</li><li>Asia’s Group II light-grade prices slip vs feedstock/gasoil prices faster than heavy grades and faster than Group I light grades.</li><li>Supply-demand fundamentals likely to improve for light and heavy grades in coming weeks as plant maintenance draws to a close and demand slows.</li></ul>

Asia’s heavy-grade base oils prices hold firm versus feedstock/gasoil prices.Asia’s Group II light-grade prices slip vs feedstock/gasoil prices faster than heavy grades and faster than Group I light grades.Supply-demand fundamentals likely to improve for light and heavy grades in coming weeks as plant maintenance draws to a close and demand slows.

Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 19 May

<ul><li>Asia’s base oils demand could see earlier-than-usual seasonal slowdown in face of weak lube consumption and improving supply.</li><li>Asia’s lube demand falls at end-Q1 2025 from year-earlier levels.</li><li>Demand weakness shows signs of extending into Q2 2025 as uncertainty about US tariffs compounds signs of slowing economic growth.</li></ul>

Asia’s base oils demand could see earlier-than-usual seasonal slowdown in face of weak lube consumption and improving supply.Asia’s lube demand falls at end-Q1 2025 from year-earlier levels.Demand weakness shows signs of extending into Q2 2025 as uncertainty about US tariffs compounds signs of slowing economic growth.

Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 19 May

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

Cosco Shipping Development / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>AH spreads are slightly narrower, but performance is concentrated in fewer names and broad spread volatility is up. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> AH is negative now, maybe on HSTECH inclusion expectations.</li>
<li>I didn't expect much out of Geneva last weekend. I was wrong in that there was a big announcement, but maybe not wrong because content was pretty slim.</li>
<li>The data tables below update on a daily basis in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tools</a> section of Smartkarma. The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools/quiddity/south-flow-monitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SOUTHBOUND Flow Monitor</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools/quiddity/ah-shares-monitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AH Monitor</a> are both there free for SK readers.</li>
</ul>


AH spreads are slightly narrower, but performance is concentrated in fewer names and broad spread volatility is up. BYD (1211 HK) AH is negative now, maybe on HSTECH inclusion expectations.
I didn't expect much out of Geneva last weekend. I was wrong in that there was a big announcement, but maybe not wrong because content was pretty slim.
The data tables below update on a daily basis in the Tools section of Smartkarma. The SOUTHBOUND Flow Monitor and AH Monitor are both there free for SK readers.


A/H Premium Tracker (To 16 May 2025):  AH Premia Contract Small Again. BYD and CMB Go Negative.

<ul><li>Global base oils prices mostly extend rise vs feedstock/competing fuel prices.</li><li>Sustained price-strength for most grades points to tight supply-demand fundamentals.</li><li>Price-strength incentivizes refiners to maintain or raise output.</li></ul>

Global base oils prices mostly extend rise vs feedstock/competing fuel prices.Sustained price-strength for most grades points to tight supply-demand fundamentals.Price-strength incentivizes refiners to maintain or raise output.

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 12 May

China

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited processes crude oil into a broad range of synthetic fibers, resins and plastics, intermediate petrochemical products and petroleum products.

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Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical (338 HK)

Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 19 May

US Group II base oils price-premium to vacuum gasoil trends higher in recent weeks compared with Q1 2025, even with dip in premium in...

Base Oil News

Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 19 May

Asia’s heavy-grade base oils prices hold firm versus feedstock/gasoil prices. Asia’s Group II light-grade prices slip vs feedstock/gasoil prices...

Base Oil News

Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 19 May

Asia’s base oils demand could see earlier-than-usual seasonal slowdown in face of weak lube consumption and improving supply. Asia’s lube demand...

Base Oil News

A/H Premium Tracker (To 16 May 2025): AH Premia Contract Small Again. BYD and CMB Go Negative.

AH Premia down small but CMB goes negative again, and BYD now joins it in negative territory, possibly on expectations of HSTECH inclusion,...

Travis Lundy

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 12 May

Global base oils prices mostly extend rise vs feedstock/competing fuel prices. Sustained price-strength for most grades points to tight...

Base Oil News

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