The UK’s base oils supply lagged demand in February for the fourth time in five months amid another pause in domestic output.The supply shortfall added to signs of a smaller-than-usual volume of surplus Group I supplies in Europe to clear in the first quarter of the year.The pause in the UK’s base oils output for the second time in four months also coincided with the start of planned maintenance work on a key base oils unit in the Netherlands.The tighter regional supply duly cushioned the impact of a seasonal slowdown in demand during the first quarter of the year.The UK’s base oils supply, or output and imports combined, fell to 28,000 tonnes in February, government data showed.The volume fell from more than 40,000 tonnes in each of the previous three months to the lowest in more than seven years.The pause in domestic output also cut availability of supplies for overseas markets.The UK’s base oils exports duly fell back to less than 13,500 tonnes in February from close to 30,000 tonnes the previous month.Shipments to markets outside Europe such as Africa fell to less than 7,500 tonnes, from more than 23,000 tonnes in January.The slowdown added to a similar trend for Europe’s base oils exports to markets outside the region and boosted the incentive for those markets to target supplies from other sources instead.The UK’s lower exports also weighed on the country’s total demand, or domestic consumption and exports combined.Total demand of close to 38,000 tonnes in February slid from a seven-month high of more than 75,000 tonnes the previous month.The size of the slowdown outpaced the drop in the UK’s base oils supply.The UK’s supply shortfall duly narrowed to less than 10,000 tonnes in February, from close to 35,000 tonnes the previous month..Global exports to Kenya fall in February.UK’s January base oils supply falls
The UK’s base oils supply lagged demand in February for the fourth time in five months amid another pause in domestic output.The supply shortfall added to signs of a smaller-than-usual volume of surplus Group I supplies in Europe to clear in the first quarter of the year.The pause in the UK’s base oils output for the second time in four months also coincided with the start of planned maintenance work on a key base oils unit in the Netherlands.The tighter regional supply duly cushioned the impact of a seasonal slowdown in demand during the first quarter of the year.The UK’s base oils supply, or output and imports combined, fell to 28,000 tonnes in February, government data showed.The volume fell from more than 40,000 tonnes in each of the previous three months to the lowest in more than seven years.The pause in domestic output also cut availability of supplies for overseas markets.The UK’s base oils exports duly fell back to less than 13,500 tonnes in February from close to 30,000 tonnes the previous month.Shipments to markets outside Europe such as Africa fell to less than 7,500 tonnes, from more than 23,000 tonnes in January.The slowdown added to a similar trend for Europe’s base oils exports to markets outside the region and boosted the incentive for those markets to target supplies from other sources instead.The UK’s lower exports also weighed on the country’s total demand, or domestic consumption and exports combined.Total demand of close to 38,000 tonnes in February slid from a seven-month high of more than 75,000 tonnes the previous month.The size of the slowdown outpaced the drop in the UK’s base oils supply.The UK’s supply shortfall duly narrowed to less than 10,000 tonnes in February, from close to 35,000 tonnes the previous month..Global exports to Kenya fall in February.UK’s January base oils supply falls
