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.

Baseoilnews.com combines daily, weekly and monthly base oils and lubes fundamentals data from every region of the world to build the most comprehensive and up-to-date global picture of the state of the market.

The data and analysis provide key tools to understand current market developments and opportunities and to anticipate how the market is likely to behave in the coming months.

Base oils producers, lube blenders and consumers can then better plan accordingly.

Baseoilnews.com analyses and publishes market news and data every day as it breaks.

Commodities

<ul><li>Global base oils prices hold firm vs feedstock/competing fuel prices even as they edge lower.</li><li>Firm base oils values point to tight supply-demand fundamentals, incentivize refiners to maintain high output.</li><li>Base oils values hold firm ahead of typical seasonal slowdown in demand in coming weeks in Asia, and from start of Q3 in Europe/US.</li></ul>

Global base oils prices hold firm vs feedstock/competing fuel prices even as they edge lower.Firm base oils values point to tight supply-demand fundamentals, incentivize refiners to maintain high output.Base oils values hold firm ahead of typical seasonal slowdown in demand in coming weeks in Asia, and from start of Q3 in Europe/US.

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 19 May

<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

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The HSI has already recovered to 2.2% above the pre-"reciprocal tariff" level, and the top 10 best-performing constituents have registered an average return of 15.6%.</li>
<li>Despite so, there are still 40 under-performing stocks, with 32 of them remain in the negative zone with an average of 4.8% loss. </li>
<li>Among them, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zto-express-cayman-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33488:1" rel="noopener">ZTO Express Cayman (2057 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/budweiser-brewing-co-apac-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28077:1" rel="noopener">Budweiser Brewing APAC (1876 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-electronic-international-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1927:1" rel="noopener">BYD Electronics (285 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a> look well-positioned to catch up.</li>
</ul>


The HSI has already recovered to 2.2% above the pre-"reciprocal tariff" level, and the top 10 best-performing constituents have registered an average return of 15.6%.
Despite so, there are still 40 under-performing stocks, with 32 of them remain in the negative zone with an average of 4.8% loss. 
Among them, ZTO Express Cayman (2057 HK), Budweiser Brewing APAC (1876 HK), BYD Electronics (285 HK), and Meituan (3690 HK) look well-positioned to catch up.


HK Strategy: What Are Some of the HSI Laggards to Pick Up?

China

PetroChina Company Limited explores, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas.  The Company also refines, transports, and distributes crude oil and petroleum products, produces and sells chemicals, and transmits, markets and sells natural gas.

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PetroChina (857 HK)

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 19 May

Global base oils prices hold firm vs feedstock/competing fuel prices even as they edge lower. Firm base oils values point to tight supply-demand...

Base Oil News

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

HK Strategy: What Are Some of the HSI Laggards to Pick Up?

HSI has rebounded above pre-reciprocal tariff levels, with top stocks up 15.6%. However, 32 stocks remain negative, with ZTO Express, Budweiser...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 19 May

Global base oils prices hold firm vs feedstock/competing fuel prices even as they edge lower. Firm base oils values point to tight supply-demand...

Base Oil News

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

HK Strategy: What Are Some of the HSI Laggards to Pick Up?

​HSI has rebounded above pre-reciprocal tariff levels, with top stocks up 15.6%. However, 32 stocks remain negative, with ZTO Express, Budweiser...

Osbert Tang, CFA

HSI has rebounded above pre-reciprocal tariff levels, with top stocks up 15.6%. However, 32 stocks remain negative, with ZTO Express, Budweiser...