Christos Krigkou - Vortexa

Christos Krigkou

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Christos Krigkou

Christos is an Associate Data Analyst at Vortexa, working closely with the Market Intelligence & Analytics Team. By supporting research and analysis tasks related to crude flows and using internal tools and processes, he helps maintain data quality, spot market trends and, draw key insights.
Christos holds an MSc in Chemistry from Imperial College London.

Interests:

Data analysis
Global crude flows and inventories
Sanctioned trade flows

Saudi Leads “Big Three” Cutting Crude…

In this insight we explore how the top three global crude suppliers are lowering exports in May and what that means for global oil…

Asia’s refining margins rebound but how…

Asia's refining margins are firming somewhat but competition from new Middle East and African refineries could limit any strength.

The Atlantic Basin’s increasingly important role…

As diesel imports surge into West Africa, we take a look at the growing Russian share and explore flows moving to LatAm after STS…

Are VLCCs making use of triangulation…

VLCC demand has grown in the last few months. In this insight, we investigate whether this has sparked a change in VLCC tanker behaviour,…

China’s crude imports disappoint. Is a…

China’s April oil import figures have declined from March’s peak, along with other economic signals. Has the market been overoptimistic on China’s recovery?

Will strong Atlantic Basin exports continue…

Atlantic basin exports of crude and products are showing signs of a slowdown after two exceptionally strong months

Could weak refined product demand signal…

Falling product margins, historically high diesel exports and lower crude supplies, what does it mean for refineries?

Have CPP rates reached an inflection…

What are the current pillars of CPP tankers and how strongly will they support rates for the remainder of the year?

The oil market battle: bullish crude…

Exclusive Report: The fleet operating in…

Access the exclusive new report, "The fleet operating in opaque markets" which looks in-depth into the tankers operating in tier 2 and 3 and…

Key takeaways from Vortexa Insights Connect

On 13 April, Vortexa brought professionals in the energy industry together to discuss the key dynamics driving the global energy market

Tanker fleet profile for Russian oil…

The tanker fleet engaged in the Russian trade post-sanctions is predominantly Greek-operated and composed mostly of older Aframax and MR tankers.

Will the surprise OPEC+ cuts affect…

Imports of sour crudes remain strong especially in Asia while surprise cuts from OPEC+ members could open the doors for other suppliers in a…

Russian diesel exports climb to a…

Russia diesel exports surge in March, rising both from the Baltic and Black Sea. Will volumes continue to rise?

Time to get bullish again on…

Numerous structural and seasonal factors are pointing to higher crude prices in the coming months, and onshore crude inventories are already drawing right now.

Russian reshuffling and rising transatlantic demand…

MR freight rates have shown stability in March after seeing large swings earlier this year. In this insight, our freight team examines how reshuffling…

Europe’s light distillate imports from alternative…

Will the loss of Russian naphtha and gasoline blending components make gasoline production in Europe difficult from a blending perspective or will Europe continue…

Global oil flows data in March…

In this insight, we explore how recent trends in seaborne global oil flows support the wider macro-driven sell-off across oil prices.

Russia’s naphtha: Where’s next after the…

Russia's naphtha exports have nosedived post the EU ban amid limited alternative markets and challenging fundamentals.

LPG Special Report – From winter…

Access our exclusive LPG report, compiled using Vortexa's proprietary data, looking in-depth at LPG global market dynamics. This report answers the question of LPG…

Russian diesel increases towards Turkey for…

Turkey’s Russian seaborne diesel/gasoil imports hit record highs in February as Russian barrels continue to muscle in and redistribute European energy flows.

Will China lean more on Russian…

China’s crude oil imports from Russia are set to pick up to a new record in March. Will the momentum continue as China’s fuel…

February 27, 2023

US LPG exports to Asia surge,…

US LPG exports to Asia are surging to a multi-year high in February but incremental supplies are not likely heading to China amid ample…

February 24, 2023

Smooth sailing for Russian CPP in…

What are the first lessons we see in the CPP market following the EU import ban on Russian products?

February 16, 2023

LSFO outlook tightens on recovering gasoline…

An early rally in global gasoline markets recently is fueling expectations of tightening low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) supplies, keeping prices for the residual fuel…

February 08, 2023

Light distillates come into focus

The massive shifts away from light distillates production and trade toward middle distillates during 2022 and into 2023 could provide support for light distillates…

February 02, 2023

Clean tankers seeking stability after a…

Clean tanker markets have seen a freight rate decline across the board so far this year despite strong momentum in late 2022. Our freight…

January 31, 2023

Will Russia struggle to find new…

We review the trends in Russian diesel, crude and other products for exports, imports and oil on the water, singling out factors that define…

January 24, 2023

Favorable tailwinds developing for US seaborne…

US crude exports are expected to remain strong, as indications of demand from refiners in Asia surface along with the existing pull from Europe.

January 19, 2023

Russia overcomes EU ban with record-high…

Russia exported record-high volumes of crude to India in 1H January, facilitated by tonnage supply from existing and incumbent shipowners.

January 18, 2023

Rising global diesel exports ease diesel…

As Europe secures alternative supplies of non-Russian diesel, Russian flows rise towards non-EU destinations

January 12, 2023

Exclusive report: Iranian crude & condensate…

What were the highs and lows of 2022 for Iranian crude & condensate exports? Download our exclusive report with insights derived by our expert…

January 11, 2023

China’s oil quotas strike balance between…

China's recent allocation of oil quotas signals Beijing's intention to accelerate economic recovery whilst sticking to its longer-term goal of controlling emissions.

January 10, 2023

Massive global product exports herald easing…

World product exports have been surging over the last two months, pointing to ample refining capacity and easing supply pressure. Whether the demand is…

December 22, 2022

Crude Tankers: 3-tier fleet reveals itself…

What are the first signs of the tanker profiles that have surfaced in the transportation of Russian crude post-EU sanctions?

December 20, 2022

What does 2023 hold for the…

2023 is shaping up to be a tough year for the oil market but China's re-opening could cushion the global demand slowdown in the…

December 13, 2022

US buyers replace Russian residual fuel…

US buyers have managed to replace Russian residual fuel imports with barrels from Mexico and Middle East to run their secondary units hard.

December 05, 2022

China’s crude imports to slow down…

China's crude imports are on-track to achieve steady rise till the end of the year. But will the upbeat momentum last into the new…

November 24, 2022

LPG’s demand recovery faces tough headwinds

LPG's much anticipated demand recovery has arrived but soaring tanker rates and weak petrochemical demand are capping the pace of recovery.

November 23, 2022

Q&A: Russian EU sanctions and shipping…

As we approach the 5th December deadline, we are attempting to shed light on 10 key questions and distil the determinants that could influence…

November 17, 2022

Mid-Q4 2022 Freight Market Review

While the crude tanker market continues its rally and the clean market lags, Russia’s approach to the oil price cap will shape freight rates…

November 16, 2022

Global diesel pricing – bull or…

While a flood of East of Suez diesel imports has improved Europe’s positioning for the upcoming winter, Russia-Europe flows are rising again ahead of…

November 10, 2022

The shipping logistics behind reshuffling Russian…

Russian crude exports are having to travel farther as the country redirects flows to “friendly” nations. In this insight, we assess the implications for…

November 01, 2022

US clean product flows mixed amid…

October data suggests a slowing of of clean product flows even as diesel cracks remain strong and PADD 1 distillate stocks fall below average

October 27, 2022

Asia’s appetite for Russian fuel oil…

Global fuel oil markets are undergoing a major structural shift as Russia, the world's top exporter of residual fuels, seeks alternative outlets for its…

October 25, 2022

The gap between diesel and light…

Vortexa trade flow data shows a consistent trend over recent months of rising diesel and falling light distillate imports. That is particularly true for…

October 21, 2022

Vortexa Global Webinar: Key highlights

Vortexa’s analysts hosted a Global Webinar on 20 October offering their views on leading questions from the industry.

October 06, 2022

EU shipping ban to be the…

As the EU policies against Russia loom, we explore the the impact of trade flows reshuffling and the EU shipping ban on freight markets.

September 27, 2022

Falling CPC Blend loadings weigh upon…

In this insight we explore the latest trends with CPC Blend loadings and its impact upon crude supply in the wider Black and Capsian…

September 22, 2022

China to issue a massive batch…

Market discussions that China could be issuing up to 15mt of additional clean product export quotas for the remainder of this year have sent…

September 22, 2022

China’s comeback lifts VLCCs, recent announcements…

China’s rebound in purchasing amid a much more ample global crude market lifts VLCC rates across all fronts, with much higher anticipated clean product…

September 15, 2022

Key takeaways from Energy Day at…

On 14 September, together with our partners from Rystad Energy and Argus Media, we showed over 150 slides to our highly engaged audience (thank…

September 13, 2022

Slowing fuel demand takes its toll…

A slowing fuel demand amidst global recessionary fears has impacted US crude/condensate flows taking August imports to 4-month lows.

September 12, 2022

Iran Special Report: The difficulties of…

Explore the dynamics of Iranian crude/condensate exports so far this year, with highlights of onshore inventories and freight shipping markets.

September 06, 2022

Clean tankers: LR2s in a position…

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shifted diesel trade patterns and the clean tanker segment, but LR2s seem to be in a strong stance.

September 01, 2022

What goes up, must come down.…

Low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) prices have traded lower in August, coming a long way down from previous record highs but upside risks prevail…

August 25, 2022

Crude Tankers: Russian Invasion sets the…

Russian-Ukranian conflict managed to shift the crude tanker trade patterns, however Chinese purchasing activity is and will remain a barometer for tanker recovery.

August 18, 2022

Are China’s crude imports on a…

China’s refining industry has been languishing amidst sluggish demand and thin margins since March. Is a long-awaited recovery in sight?

August 16, 2022

LatAm crude/condensates exports slow in August…

Latin American crude/condensates exports are showing signs of a slowdown in August as high diesel cracks divert more crude to domestic refineries.

August 04, 2022

Europe’s crude tastes could leave Suezmax…

What is the current state of the Suezmax tanker market and how European appetite and regulation could shape the future?

New realities are emerging for CPP…

How is CPP tanker demand shaping up in Q3 2022 and what does this tell us about the freight rate outlook?

Global oil demand falters as inflation…

Global oil demand is showing signs of cooling after several months of rally. We explore the leading market indicators and what this means for…

Russia redirects its residual fuel oil…

As Russian redirects its residual fuels to the East, traditional western buyers are soaking up replacement barrels from all over the world, including heavy…

VLCC freight rate recovery challenged by…

VLCCs have had a tough first half in 2022, with increasing vessel supply and weak crude demand in East Asia keeping earnings well below…

Global gasoline supplies reach seasonal highs…

Global refineries are running at maximum capacity and unless faster demand destruction takes place versus the supply decline, we can expect net inventory builds…

Global crude/condensates liftings fall in June…

Global seaborne liftings fell, while arrivals of crude/condensates were flat m-o-m in June, reinforcing limited global spare capacity concerns.

Will dark voyages take the spotlight…

With a series of sanctions and bans affecting Russian oil exports, how has the dark voyage landscape changed and what does that tell for…

India’s refiners face headwinds after months…

India's refiners have been riding the waves of soaring refining margins over the past months but the tides could be turning soon.

Newbuild VLCCs & Suezmaxes: Different year,…

As the first half of the year draws to a close, Vortexa takes a look at the behaviour of newbuild supertankers and influencing factors.

Russian crude in transit at record…

Russian oil in-transit is hitting record highs, driven by the need to send barrels to the East, and is inspiring new shipping practices. Meanwhile,…

Libyan crude supply disruptions and the…

Libyan crude oil supply has taken a dent in recent weeks as a result of disruptions at key export and production sites. This insight…

US crude exports to Europe remain…

US seaborne crude/condensates loadings for Europe have remained elevated since April but as this has firmed, so too has the trend for more barrels…

Clean MR tankers show early signs…

Clean MR freight rates in the East of Suez are rising in unison of late, while those in the West are more volatile, moving…

LNG portfolios turn to one year…

Missing Freeport LNG supplies are starting to cool the spot shipping rates but LNG charterers are still seeking options to mitigate hikes in volatility and…

A bumpy road to recovery for…

China’s refining sector is recovering from a Covid-related recession amidst a series of push and pull factors, however, the road to full recovery will…

Will crude now catch up with…

The reason for high fuel prices is a lack of global refining capacity rather than a perceived lack of Russian supplies, and the cure…

Global crude/condensate loadings edge higher in…

Global seaborne loadings of crude/condensates edged higher m-o-m in May as an uptick from Saudi Arabia and UAE, and a recovery in Nigerian loadings…

Nowhere but storage for naphtha amid…

A rising volume of naphtha is building up in storage terminals in the ARA region and Singapore as demand for the petrochemical feedstock wanes.…

High-sulphur fuel oil arbitrage flows reverse…

In a trend that’s likely to stick, rising Russian fuel oil flows to East of Suez markets have weighed on Asia’s HSFO markets in…

Special report: Alternating fates for dirty…

Explore the dynamics currently dictating the dirty and CPP tanker markets, focusing on regional stories developing in both hemispheres of the world.

North African crude supply in the…

North African crude supply has seen shifts in recent months, largely driven by fresh protests in Libya and the displacement of Russian Urals in…

Fuel oil markets brace for further…

Global fuel oil prices are set to strengthen over the coming months being faced with a double whammy of rising demand and tight supplies.…

Exclusive LPG Report: LPG summer trends…

Rising US LPG production is outpacing domestic and exports demand in Asia and Europe. The outlook on Middle East exports has turned into a…

Exclusive Report: China bitumen feedstock outlook…

Access the exclusive new report "China bitumen feedstock outlook in a tightening market for sour crude" which takes an in-depth look at the voluntary…

New locations arise for Russian Urals…

We explore the latest trends and shifts in Urals STS locations, their relevance and the profile of tankers involved.