Platts proposes amending methodology for FOB Japan gasoil assessment

S&P Global Platts is proposing to amend the underlying methodology for its FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil assessment with effect from October 1, 2020.

The proposed amendment in methodology is due to the discontinuation of Platts' Japan Domestic Oil Waterborne gasoil assessments from October 1, 2020.

Japan's gasoil exports, however, remain a significant feature of the Asia Pacific market in recent years. In 2019, Japan exported 7.98 million mt of diesel, up 30% from 6.155 million mt in 2018, data from Petroleum Association of Japan showed.

Currently, the FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil assessment uses the Japan Domestic Oil Waterborne gasoil assessment for Tokyo Bay LC 1 (daily price symbol code PJPAB00) as the underlying calculation, with cost normalized for the export market including the removal of the implied taxed value and reflects cargo size of 150,000-250,000 barrels. The FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil assessment was first published on May 7, 2018 and is currently time stamped at 3:30 pm Japan time (0630 GMT), following the Japan publishing schedule for waterborne products.

Under the proposal, the assessment would be derived by applying a daily assessed FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil cash differential to the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) strip from October 1, 2020. The final value would continue to be expressed in US dollar per barrel.

In addition to the methodology change to the FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil, Platts would publish the FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil cash differential starting October 1.

The amended FOB Japan assessment would reflect cargoes of 250,000-300,000 barrels in size, loading 15-30 days forward from the date of publication. The assessment would be normalized to gasoil loadings from Tokyo Bay, and reflect value at the close of Asian trade at 4:30 pm Singapore time (0830 GMT).

The publication schedule of the FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil and the new cash differential assessment would be based on Platts' existing publication schedule for Singapore oil assessments.

The FOB Japan 10 ppm sulfur gasoil assessment appears in the Asia-Pacific/Arab Gulf Marketscan, the Oilgram Price Report, on Platts Global Alert pages 2430, 2404, 2006, 2007, 2405 and 2431, and in the Platts price database under the daily price symbol code POJAP00 with the monthly average code POJAP03.

Please send all feedback or questions by May 1, 2020, to asia_products@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing.

Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.