US crude/condensates exports to Europe are rising in April as the continent pivots further away from Russian supplies. As exports to Europe rise, so too are volumes loaded onto larger tankers, possibly indicating the start of a longer term trend.
As we move into the second quarter of this year, we analyse the effects of recent developments on the tonne-mile demand of crude and clean tanker fleets.
In this insight we examine the diverging trends in the flows of Russia's flagship crude grade Urals, when loaded in the Baltics versus Black Sea.
Russian overall oil exports are on a declined path, while crude exports are stable. European resupply needs and volatility/risk are supporting freight rates, while so far we do not see unusual dark shipping activity.
Russian crude exports from the Baltic and Black Sea are now showing a clear redirection away from Europe. In this insight we explore the magnitude of this shift and where these crude cargoes are heading to instead.
Following the recent news of sanction placements as well as the oil and freight price behaviour over the past few days, we give a brief update on the fate of crude tanker markets, which looks ominous for shipowners.
In the face of mounting challenges to trade oil from Russia, Vortexa conducts a scenario analysis to evaluate how a change in the flow landscape could impact Crude & CPP tanker demand.
Vortexa analyses flow developments in the Mediterranean, assessing the impact on freight rates and inferring on what lies ahead.
Transatlantic rates reached an annual high recently, however are now easing. Vortexa is attempting to analyse the reasons behind this decline and whether this trend will resume.
In last year’s freight forecast Vortexa described 2020 as one of the most volatile years on record. 2021 saw a more tepid year, with freight rates overall languishing at their lowest levels in years. Vortexa forecasts what 2022 has in store for freight markets.
Vortexa analyses competitive advantages of different refining setups and concludes from product export data that refiners in oil producing countries are currently outperforming plants in consuming nations thanks to feedstock costs.
What are the dynamics behind this dirty-to-clean shift and what is the impact on the product and crude tanker markets?
Vortexa summarises the trends and dynamics that prevailed in the crude and product tanker market throughout Q2 2021
Cheaper Suezmax freight rates led to increased employment for US - Europe flows. Will this trend continue amidst a positive environment for European crude imports?
Aframax tankers trading in the Mediterranean are entering a period with rates at multi-year lows, amid low cargo volumes and a build in surplus tonnage. We investigate the current state of the Aframax Mediterranean market and look to where it is heading through Vortexa data.