SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts launches USAC 500 ppm LS heating oil assessment

S&P Global Platts will start assessing a new assessment for low sulfur heating oil barges in New York Harbor with a maximum sulfur content of 500 ppm effective October 3, 2016.

This date was originally proposed in a subscriber note published on August 18, 2016.

The assessments and codes are as follows:

LS Heating Oil barge FOB NYH AAXPY00 LS Heating Oil barge FOB NYH Monthly Avg AAXPY03

The assessment reflects growing trade in lower sulfur heating oil now that all but two states in the US Northeast are transitioning to lower sulfur heating oil by the end of 2016.

The new assessment is published as an outright price in cents/gal and reflects barges loading on an FOB basis 3-7 days forward from Monday through Wednesday, and 5-9 days forward on Thursday and Friday. This matches the existing delivery period of the Platts New York Harbor barge assessments of Gasoil No. 2 (2,000 ppm sulfur heating oil), ultra low sulfur heating oil (maximum 15 ppm sulfur) and ULSD.

The new assessment reflects the value of barge clip sizes of a minimum 25,000 barrels, and maximum 100,000 barrels.

Other specifications for the 500 ppm low sulfur heating oil assessment are similar to Colonial Pipeline's 75 grade for LSHO at the delivery point of Linden, New Jersey.

Please send all comments and questions to Americas_products@platts.com and pricegroup@platts.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.