US ultra-low sulfur diesel was the most recent product refined from crude oil to take successful in its money market final week, after refiners boosted manufacturing in a bid to flee poorer margins for different merchandise extra affected by coronavirus fallout.
Refining margins for gasoline and jet gasoline have tanked due to decreased demand for transportation fuels because the illness outbreak has compelled companies to shut and governments to push residents to keep away from journey and public locations.
For many of final week, diesel margins held up comparatively nicely, as each trucking and farming, two sectors that depend on diesel, continued working. However refiners’ transfer to show to diesel is beginning to trigger oversupply in some areas, inflicting money costs to fall, market individuals mentioned.
Money costs for diesel in Chicago ULSD-DIFF-MC fell final week to 34 cents per gallon under the heating oil futures contract HOc1, the bottom seasonally since at the least 2011, early Refinitiv Eikon information confirmed.
Elsewhere within the Midwest ULSD-DIFF-G3 and on the Gulf Coast ULSD-DIFF-USG, costs had been the bottom seasonally since 2016.
That might augur for declines in diesel refining margins HOc1-CLc1, that are nonetheless seasonally robust at $18.53 a barrel. In the meantime, gasoline refining margins RBc1-CLc1 are at $3.55 a barrel, the bottom for this time of yr since at the least 2005, Refinitiv Eikon confirmed.
The coronavirus has curbed journey and driving as governments urge individuals to remain indoors.
Underscoring falling demand, Colonial Pipeline Co mentioned on Thursday it could reduce volumes on its major strains delivering gasoline and diesel gasoline to the US East Coast from the Gulf Coast.
Some say the one remedy for the refining business proper now can be run cuts, resulting in much less provide and a possible salve for margins.
“If Colonial is the second most important source of supply and they aren’t full – then the demand destruction is biting,” mentioned Sandy Fielden, director of oil and merchandise analysis at Morningstar in Austin, Texas.
