Platts proposes new Mediterranean Aframax dirty freight assessments

S&P Global Platts is proposing to begin publication of two new Aframax assessments in the Mediterranean and change the basket for the current cross-Mediterranean Aframax assessment in the West of Suez dirty tanker markets from Feb. 1, 2021.

Crude oil trading patterns in the Mediterranean basin have continued to evolve, with certain routes pricing at premiums or discounts to the current cross-Mediterranean assessment on Aframaxes.

Platts has observed an increasing number of fixtures for the following routes:

80,000 mt Sidi Kerir to Mediterranean

80,000 mt Libya to Mediterranean

Platts is proposing to publish daily spot and monthly average assessments for these two routes in order to better capture the growing diversity and to better reflect the spot freight markets in the Mediterranean basin.

The 80,000 mt Sidi Kerir to Mediterranean assessment would be based on the following freight basket:

Sidi Kerir to Cartagena; Sidi Kerir to Trieste; Sidi Kerir to Livorno

The 80,000 mt Libya to Mediterranean assessment would be based on the following freight basket:

Marsa El Brega to Trieste; Bouri to Fos Sur Mer; Farwah to Cartagena

Platts is also proposing to change the basket of the current 80,000 mt Aframax cross-Mediterranean assessment, from the current basket:

Sidi Kerir to Lavera; La Skhirra to Augusta; Ceyhan to Trieste

The new freight basket for the cross-Mediterranean 80,000 mt would be:

Ceyhan to Trieste; Ceyhan to Augusta; Ceyhan to Huelva

Please send all comments or questions to shipping and pricegroup by Dec. 15, 2020.

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.