China’s Refinery Runs Crash to Pandemic Lows as Crude Imports Collapse

Chinese refiners further slashed crude processing in June, with volumes crumbling to the pandemic lows of 2020 amid Strait of Hormuz supply disruptions and weakening domestic fuel demand. China’s refinery throughput slumped by 17.7% from a year earlier, to just 12.47 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics published on Wednesday. That was the lowest processing volume in six years, since the onset of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, according to the data series. The average run…

Refining & Products Context

Downstream margins — or crack spreads — have experienced considerable volatility as refinery operators navigate feedstock cost fluctuations, product demand seasonality, and evolving fuel specifications. Gasoline and distillate margins serve as key profitability levers for integrated refiners.

Refinery utilization rates, particularly in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Northwest European hubs, directly influence product availability and pricing. Unplanned outages, scheduled turnarounds, and weather-related disruptions are recurring factors that tighten regional product supply.

What to Watch

Key metrics to watch include refinery utilization rates, weekly distillate inventory builds or draws, and crack spread movements, which serve as real-time indicators of refining profitability across major processing hubs.