SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts launches USGC loading dirty tanker assessments

S&P Global Platts launched four dirty tanker assessments from the US Gulf Coast to Asia Pacific and Europe, effective March 1, 2018.

The four assessments were first proposed in a subscriber note published December 12, 2017 (https://www.platts.com/subscriber-notes-details/21804308).

The launch of the assessments reflects the increase in US Gulf Coast crude exports since the lifting of a US crude export ban in December 2015.

For destinations in the Asia Pacific region, the assessments are published on a lump-sum basis and are expressed as $/voyage.

For voyages to Northwest Europe and the Mediterranean, the assessments are published on a Worldscale basis and are expressed as Worldscale points.

Both reflect how these routes are traded. Platts also publishes the equivalent $/mt value for these assessments.

The assessments are as follows:

WORLDSCALE US GULF COAST TO UK CONTINENT AFRAMAX: This assessment reflects the US Gulf Coast to UK Continent route for a dirty Aframax tanker carrying a cargo of 70,000 mt. The assessment reflects loadings from the US Gulf Coast, including Corpus Christi, Houston and Port Arthur (Nederland), and discharge at Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Fawley in the UK.

WORLDSCALE US GULF COAST TO MEDITERRANEAN AFRAMAX: This assessment reflects the US Gulf Coast to the Mediterranean route for a dirty Aframax tanker carrying a cargo of 70,000 mt. The assessment reflects loadings from the US Gulf Coast, including Corpus Christi, Houston and Port Arthur (Nederland), and discharge at Cartagena, Spain, Fos/Lavera, France, and Savona, Italy.

LUMPSUM US GULF COAST TO CHINA VLCC: This assessment reflects the US Gulf Coast to China route for a Very Large Crude Carrier carrying a cargo of 270,000 mt. The assessment reflects loadings from the US Gulf Coast, including the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) and the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), and discharge at China's northern coastal ports, including Qingdao and Dongjiaku.

LUMPSUM US GULF COAST TO SINGAPORE VLCC: This assessment reflects the US Gulf Coast to Singapore route for a Very Large Crude Carrier carrying a cargo of 270,000 mt. The assessment reflects loadings from the US Gulf Coast, including GOLA and LOOP, and discharge in Singapore.

The symbols for the assessments are as follows:

Dirty USGC-Mediterranean Aframax 70kt Wsc: TDUWS00 Dirty USGC-Mediterranean Aframax 70kt Wsc MAvg: TDUWS03 Dirty USGC-Mediterranean Aframax 70kt $/mt: TDUCC00 Dirty USGC-Mediterranean Aframax 70kt $/mt MAvg: TDUCC03 Dirty USGC-Mediterranean Aframax 70kt cargo size TDUCCSZ

Dirty USGC-China VLCC 270kt Lumpsum: TDUCB00 Dirty USGC-China Lumpsum MAvg: TDUCB03 Dirty USGC-China VLCC 270kt $/mt: TDUCA00 Dirty USGC-China VLCC 270kt $/mt MAvg: TDUCA03 Dirty USGC-China 270kt cargo size: TDUCASZ

Dirty USGC-Singapore VLCC 270kt Lumpsum: TDUCE00 Dirty USGC-Singapore VLCC 270kt Lumpsum MAvg: TDUCE03 Dirty USGC-Singapore VLCC 270kt $/mt: TDUCD00 Dirty USGC-Singapore VLCC 270kt $/mt MAvg: TDUCD03 Dirty USGC-Singapore VLCC 270kt cargo size: TDUCDSZ

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