Base oils shipments from the Saudi Arabian ports of Yanbu and Jeddah rose to a five-month high in June, including a pick-up in shipments to South Africa and Egypt.The rise in shipments helped to cushion signs of a slowdown in exports to those markets from Europe and the US during the second quarter of the year.The sustained flow of shipments at relatively firm levels so far this year also raised the prospect of magnifying the impact of plant-maintenance work in Saudi Arabia during the fourth quarter of the year.Total shipments from the ports of Yanbu and Jeddah combined came to more than 65,000 tonnes in June, provisional shipping data showed..The volume rose from less than 55,000 tonnes the previous month to the highest since January.The volume included a larger-than-usual shipment to South Africa, which saw its base oils imports slump in the first five months of the year.The contraction reflected a fall in supplies from most key sources including the Middle East, Europe, and the US.The slowdown coincided with plant-maintenance work in all of those markets during the first half of the year.It also highlighted South Africa’s exposure to such changes in output in view of its complete reliance on imports to cover its base oils requirements.The pick-up in flows from Saudi Arabia to South Africa in June contrasted with signs of lower-than-usual shipments to India.The country’s imports from Saudi Arabia fell to a one-year low in June, compounding its tighter supply of Group I base oils especially.Other markets like Europe, Singapore and China took delivery of an increasingly regular flow of shipments from Saudi Arabia in first-half 2025 that were well above year-earlier levels.The rise in shipments partially cushioned the impact of tight Group I brightstock supply in markets like southeast Asia.The rise in shipments to a growing number of outlets could also magnify the impact of the planned 45-day shutdown of a key plant in Saudi Arabia in November for scheduled maintenance work.The timing of the shutdown, at year-end, could conversely limit the impact of a typical seasonal slowdown in demand in key markets around that time..Global exports to Middle East fall in June.India’s June base oils imports fall.Saudi Arabia’s April Yanbu/Jeddah base oils exports rise .Base Oil News stories and analyses also available on the ICIS platform
