Exxon is in the running for Shell’s U.S. chemicals business that could fetch $8 billion, the Financial Times reported today, citing unnamed sources familiar with developments. The U.S. supermajor is competing with LyondellBasell, Apollo Global Management, and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the unnamed sources also told the publication.
The potential buyers have submitted non-binding offers to Shell, with these ranging from offers to buy parts of the business to offers for the whole division. Shell’s chemicals business in the United…
Market Context
Global crude oil markets remain sensitive to a combination of macroeconomic signals, OPEC+ production policy, and geopolitical developments across key producing regions. Brent crude and WTI serve as the primary price benchmarks, with spread movements reflecting regional supply-demand imbalances and refinery demand shifts.
Energy traders and analysts closely monitor inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), which releases weekly petroleum status reports that frequently move markets. Rising inventories typically signal demand weakness or oversupply, while draws support price recovery.
What to Watch
Analysts and traders will be watching upcoming EIA inventory reports, OPEC+ output decisions, and macroeconomic indicators — particularly U.S. Federal Reserve policy signals and China demand data — for directional cues on crude prices in the near term.
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