Commodity traders are having the rug pulled out from under one of their biggest paydays yet as refiners start bypassing oil and traders and buying Venezuelan crude directly, according to Reuters. Refiners and major oil-producing firms are rapidly gaining market share in Venezuelan crude by locking in direct supply contracts with state-run Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), bypassing the global middlemen and commodity trading houses such as Trafigura and Vitol that previously dominated the space. Six months after traders reopened Venezuela’s…
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.
Read original article at OilPrice.com