Global Base Oils Cargo Flows: Week To 20 March

Photo of oil tanker off South America, sunset

Published on:

20 Mar 2026, 8:00 am

Summary

Several South Korean cargoes loaded in the past week bound for the US Gulf coast, set to trigger a marked rise in April arrivals
Qatar, Bahrain and UAE cargoes that loaded before the Hormuz blockade continue to arrive, with further deliveries due through end-March and into early April
A wave of Taiwan Group II cargoes loaded this week, with more set to follow — mirroring a similar pick-up in Singapore shipments

Asia

· Wave of Group II cargoes load from Taiwan in past week before heading to China.

· Several more shipments were set to load from Taiwan in the coming days, pointing to a marked rise in total cargo loadings in March.

· The pick-up in shipments in March mirrored a similar trend in Singapore, despite the prospect of lower output.

Also Read

Singapore’s Base Oils Exports At 6-Year High In Month To 18 March

· Several cargoes loaded from South Korea in the past week before heading to the US Gulf coast, set to arrive in second-half April.

· The South Korean shipments were set to trigger a sharp rise in cargoes from that country reaching the US in April.

Also Read

South Korea February Base Oil Exports to US Fall Amid Supply Shift

Middle East

· Several cargoes loaded from Saudi Arabia in the past week before heading towards Jordan and Egypt.

· Cargo of Group III base oils loaded from the UAE in first-half February before heading to China, set to arrive in the coming days.

· Cargo of Group III base oils loaded from Bahrain in first-half February before heading to northwest Europe, arrived in recent days.

· Cargo of Group III base oils loaded from Qatar in early February before heading to the US Gulf coast, set to arrive in the coming days.

Europe

· Cargo loaded from Turkey in second-half February before heading to India via the Red Sea, set to arrive in the coming days.

Also Read

India’s February Base Oils Imports Stay Low; Supply Risk Rises

· Cargo of very-light grade base oils loaded from Spain in recent days before heading to India, set to arrive by mid-April.

· Cargo of Group I and Group II base oils loaded from northwest Europe in first-half March before heading to southeast Asia, set to arrive by end-April.

Also Read

Singapore’s Feb Base Oils Exports Elevated; Domestic Share Rises

Americas

· Cargo loaded from the US Gulf coast in the past 10 days before heading to West Africa, set to arrive in early April.

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