Spot premiums for the Middle East crude benchmark Dubai climbed on Friday as trading volumes increased, even as benchmark premiums for Oman and Murban eased, according to trading data.
Commodity trading firm Trafigura was the principal bidder during Friday’s session and had also led purchasing activity across the two previous trading days, the same data showed.
For the month of July, both Oman and Dubai recorded declines in their monthly premiums. Earlier in the month, higher flows through the Strait of Hormuz had supported improved expectations for supply. More recently, however, fresh tensions in the Persian Gulf have reintroduced concerns over the reliability of shipments from the region.
Ship-tracking intelligence from Kpler indicated that two very large crude carriers - each carrying about 2 million barrels of crude - transited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, while overall traffic through the waterway remained limited.
The first VLCC, Spain B, loaded crude at the Saudi Arabian port of Ras Tanura on July 12 and was reported anchored off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. The second tanker, Noble, loaded Iraqi Basrah crude on July 25 and is en route to China.
These two VLCCs were among four commodity vessels that passed through the strait on Friday; all four exited the waterway, Kpler data showed.
Context and market reaction
Trading interest concentrated on Dubai Friday, lifting its spot premium as buyers, led by Trafigura, engaged in the market. At the same time, Oman and Murban premiums moved lower and both Dubai and Oman posted monthly declines for July. The pattern highlights a degree of divergence across Middle Eastern grades amid shifting flows and elevated geopolitical sensitivity.
What remains uncertain - Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz continues to show signs of constraint even as individual very large crude carriers managed transits; how sustained these limited flows will be remains unclear based on the available data.
The report above is drawn from trading and ship-tracking data released for the period in question and reflects observed movements in premiums and vessel traffic.