Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 17
Asian Refiners Seek Saudi Oil Pickup at Sidi Kerir for September Cargoes as Red Sea Risks Rise
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 17

Asian Refiners Seek Saudi Oil Pickup at Sidi Kerir for September Cargoes as Red Sea Risks Rise

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 17

Summary

  • At least two Asian refiners asked Saudi Aramco to let them lift September contract cargoes at Egypt’s Sidi Kerir instead of Yanbu, as shipowners grow wary of Red Sea voyages.
  • Houthi attacks on tankers and energy infrastructure have made it harder to secure vessels through the Red Sea, even though Yanbu became a key Saudi outlet after the Strait of Hormuz disruption.
  • One refiner may skip its monthly allocation because shipping crude from Sidi Kerir around Africa to Asia would raise costs, despite contract flexibility that allows buyers to defer volumes.
  • Aramco asked Japanese and South Korean refiners to collect some September cargoes at Sidi Kerir, while most buyers in China, Taiwan and India were told to load at Yanbu; the company declined comment.

Insights

With Red Sea risks adding $10 million per cargo, will Asian refiners abandon Saudi oil for cheaper global alternatives?
Will the massive drop in Yanbu oil exports trigger a global tanker shortage and skyrocket energy prices?