SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts discontinues Zarzaitine crude oil assessments

Platts confirms that it will discontinue its FOB La Skhirra Zarzaitine outright and differential assessments effective December 1, 2015, as proposed in a note published April 23. Platts is discontinuing these assessments due to low export volumes and low spot market liquidity for the grade.

Platts currently assesses FOB La Skhirra Zarzaitine on a daily basis, reflecting cargoes of between 60,000-140,000 mt loading out of the Mediterranean port of La Skhirra, in Tunisia. Currently, Platts publishes both a FOB La Skhirra Zarzaitine differential assessment (AALOY00) and an outright assessment (AAHMO00). These assessments currently appear on Platts Global Alert page MH1234, and in the Platts Crude Oil Marketwire and Platts Oilgram Price Report.

Zarzaitine, which is produced in Algeria, is delivered via pipeline to the Tunisian port of La Skhirra in the Mediterranean where it is then loaded for export. Loadings of the grade currently stand at around 30,000 b/d, equivalent to around a single cargo per month. The grade is currently traded via tender approximately a full month in advance of loading and is not regularly traded on a spot basis.

Please send any further comments or questions to europe_crude@platts.com and pricegroup@platts.com. For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.