Platts proposes to launch Baltic-WCI Aframax and Black Sea-WCI Suezmax dirty tanker assessments Aug. 1

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, proposes to launch two daily dirty tanker assessments, a 100,000 mt Aframax Baltic-West Coast India assessment and a 140,000 mt Suezmax Black Sea-West Coast India assessment, effective Aug. 1, 2025.

Following market feedback, Platts has recognized a need for greater transparency in the freight rate for Aframax and Suezmax tankers transporting crude from Russia to India, driven by increased activity levels and rate volatility in the spot market.

Quantitative data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea shows that India was the main importer of Russian-origin seaborne crude shipments in 2023 and 2024, accounting for 1.5 million b/d, or 44%, of total Russian-origin seaborne crude exports, and 1.6 million b/d, or 47%, of total Russian-origin seaborne crude exports, respectively. During this period, loadings in the Baltic Sea accounted for 69%, or 1.1 million b/d, of all Russian-origin seaborne crude exports to India, while the Black Sea accounted for 16%, or 250,000 b/d.

The base load ports for the new assessments would be:

The new dirty tanker freight assessments would reflect spot values for Aframax and Suezmax tankers carrying crude cargo in lumpsum values and $/mt.

The assessments would be published in the Platts Dirty Tankerwire, Platts Dirty Tankerwire Monthly and on the Platts Shipping Alert and Platts Tanker Alert pages.

Please send all comments or questions by June 27, 2025, to tankers@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 to the public upon request.