Freight Rate Volatility: Managing Logistics Costs in Your Crude Procurement Strategy
Introduction In crude procurement, freight is the wildcard that can erase a month’s margin in a single fixture. Refiners devote immense attention to crude differentials and product cracks, yet the ship that carries those barrels often determines whether deals create value or destroy it. Freight is not a pass-through: it is a material component of […]
Decoding Crude Oil Benchmarks (Brent, WTI, Dubai): What Price Spreads Reveal About Market Fundamentals
“This spread isn’t as directly quoted, but it’s vital for understanding the global balance of light-sweet versus heavy-sour crude, and the overall state of the refining world.” As a refinery owner or a sales leader in this industry, you live and breathe crude oil prices. But simply knowing the daily price of Brent or WTI […]
The Rise of Non-OPEC Supply (US Shale, Guyana, Brazil): Opportunities & Challenges for Refiners
By Francis Sheku Fobbie, CEO, Global Energy & Petroleum Brokers Limited, London The influx of non-OPEC crude allows refiners to diversify supply chains, reducing reliance on OPEC+ and mitigating risks from geopolitical disruptions. Refineries with advanced upgrading units can capitalise on Guyana and Brazil’s heavier crudes to produce high-value products like diesel and jet fuel, […]
Understanding OPEC+ Decisions and Their Direct Impact on Your Refinery’s Bottom Line (Connecting Policy to Refinery Economics)
Author: Francis Sheku Fobbie, CEO, Global Energy and Petroleum Brokers Limited fsfobbie@gepbrokers.com OPEC’s decisions are not just about barrels and dollars on a global scale. They directly impact your refinery’s intake, your output, and ultimately, the money you make. Introductions Refinery owners, sales directors, and decision-makers, understanding OPEC isn’t an academic exercise. It’s about your […]
Navigating Crude Quality Differentials: Maximising Refinery Yields in a Volatile Market
In today’s fast-moving oil market, not all crude oil is the same. Some types are light and sweet. Others are heavy and sour. The difference between them is called the crude quality differential, and it can make or break a refinery’s bottom line. But here’s the good news: with the right strategy and the help […]
US Tariffs and The Global Oil Market
By Francis Sheku Fobbie, CEO of Global Energy & Petroleum Brokers Ltd, London The recent implementation of sweeping tariffs by the U.S. administration has introduced significant shifts in global trade dynamics, particularly affecting the wholesale refined petroleum and energy sectors. While these tariffs impose broad duties on various imports, energy products such as oil, gas, […]