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

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, will launch two daily dirty tanker freight 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.

The assessments were first proposed in a subscriber note on May 23 here.

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 will be:

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

The assessments will be published at 16:30 London close and will follow the London publishing schedule.

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

Please send any feedback or questions to shipping@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com .

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