Sparta Market Outlook

December 12th: OPEC, 2025 balances, and sanctions

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, hosted by Sparta CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman along with analysts Neil, Phil, and James, key oil market trends were explored. Topics included OPEC+'s delayed supply increases, contrasting IEA and EIA forecasts, and skepticism surrounding China's vague stimulus announcements. Geopolitical risks, such as potential U.S. sanctions, were analysed for their impact on crude flows and pricing. The team highlighted improving distillate cracks with a bearish outlook for Q1 2025, an overpriced North Sea market, narrowing TI Brent spreads, and mixed East-West arbitrage dynamics. 

December 4th: China’s crude shift, U.S. sanctions, and global oil trends

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman joins analysts June, Neil, and Phil to explore global oil market dynamics, focusing on China's shifting crude import strategies. They discuss reduced Iranian crude imports due to U.S. sanctions, increased demand for alternative medium-sour crudes from West Africa and the Middle East, and the broader implications of OPEC+ decisions and geopolitical moves on crude grades.
 
The discussion also covers regional product markets, including naphtha, gasoline, and fuel oil. In the East, reduced Chinese gasoline exports are strengthening markets, though physical tightness remains uncertain. In the Atlantic Basin, the team analyses pad-level inventories and ARB movements, highlighting challenges and opportunities for European and U.S. exports. This episode offers actionable insights for navigating supply-demand dynamics and geopolitical uncertainty.

28th November: Crude conundrums and refining resurgence: Insights for Q1 2025

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Rachel, Neil, Phil, and James explore the latest oil market trends, focusing on OPEC+ strategies, rising refining margins in Europe and Asia, and tightening product markets due to reduced Chinese exports and Middle Eastern supply constraints. They also examine price divergences between sweet and medium crude grades and their implications for refining.
Geopolitics take center stage as the team discusses U.S.-Iran relations and potential shifts under new U.S. leadership. The episode concludes with insights on regional stock levels, refinery outages, and export trends, highlighting key factors like OPEC’s decisions, geopolitical risks, and supply-demand dynamics shaping Q1 2025.

22nd November: Crude tariffs, freight spikes, and China's energy moves

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In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Felipe, Neil, and Michael are joined by new guest John Coleman (Crude Commodity Owner for Sparta) as the team delves into the latest developments across the oil and freight markets.
The team dives into the latest energy market developments, including bullish trends in gasoil demand, China's export tax adjustments, and potential impacts of proposed U.S. crude import tariffs. Freight markets take center stage with insights on the Thanksgiving effect on Atlantic rates and Far East vessel dynamics. The team also evaluates recent trade predictions, discusses shifts in crude premiums, and highlights key winners and losers across markets for the coming week.

7th November: OPEC delays, distillate demand, and crude imbalances

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In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, the team discusses the current state of global oil markets, starting with OPEC+'s decision to delay a planned supply hike, signalling potential bearish implications despite appearing as a bullish move. The episode dives into the U.S. crude supply, revealing recent strong growth and the ongoing effects of global supply and demand imbalances.

14th November: U.S. refinery strength, Asian demand surge, and Dangote's impact

For more information about Sparta, visit our website at www.spartacommodities.com
In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, host Felipe and his team, including new member June Goh, Senior Market Analyst, dive into recent developments in global oil markets, focusing on shifts in the crude and clean product sectors. They discuss the surprising strength in U.S. refinery runs, rising crude exports, and how the U.S. is leveraging a cost advantage to gain market share over European refineries, which could signal a trend of consolidation in the European refining sector.

31st October: Geopolitical tensions and shifting supply-demand fundamentals

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In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook, Felipe, Phil, James, and Jorge, break down key developments in the global oil market amid geopolitical tensions and shifting supply-demand fundamentals. The team examines the impact of Middle Eastern tensions on crude prices,  Chinese diesel exports, European gasoline weakness, trends to watch for the week ahead, and more!

24th October: Assessing the market pulse: Key insights on crude, gasoline, and distillates for Q4

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com
In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Rachel Williams, Chief Commodities Officer at Sparta steps in for Felipe and is joined by Sparta experts Neil Crosby, James Noel-Beswick, and Jorge Molinero. The team provides an in-depth analysis of the crude, gasoline, and distillate markets, addressing key questions as the markets transition into Q4.

17th October: Navigating crude markets: Q4 predictions and a return to fundamentals

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com
In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Felipe is joined by Neil Crosby, Jorge Molinero, and Phil Jones Lux to discuss the latest trends in the crude oil and refined products markets. The team revisits their earlier predictions for Q4, evaluating how recent geopolitical events, especially concerning Iran, have influenced market dynamics.
The team explores why gasoline has been outperforming diesel cracks, diverging from earlier expectations. The role of supply and demand dynamics, and how trends in stocks, freight rates, and arbitrage flows have shifted the landscape. Despite bullish signals for gasoline, the team remains cautious, noting potential pressure from bearish crude and distillate markets.

10th October: Escalating tensions in the Middle East

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com
In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Felipe, Neil, Jorge, and Phil explore the potential impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Iran, on global oil markets. The team discusses a range of scenarios, from potential supply disruptions to the implications of de-escalation, and what this means for crude oil, gasoline, and distillates.
The team analyse how current geopolitical events have affected flat prices, time spreads, and regional markets. They explore the contrasting realities in Europe, where gasoline is competitive into multiple regions, versus the bearish outlook for U.S. exports. Freight markets, especially T/C 14, are also examined, highlighting unexpected price movements and potential market corrections.