Platts to launch Medium Range Clean Tanker freight assessments from West Africa to West Africa, US Atlantic Coast, Mediterranean, UK Continent on Dec 1

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, will launch four daily clean tanker freight assessments for a 37,000 mt cargo carried on a Medium Range clean tanker on the West Africa-West Africa, West Africa-UK Continent, West Africa-Mediterranean, and West Africa-US Atlantic Coast routes, effective Dec. 1, 2025.

Following market feedback, Platts has recognized the need for a freight rate assessment for clean tankers transporting refined products from the West Africa region, driven by increased activity levels and evolving transportation routes within the regions. Platts understands this sustained growth to be indicative of a structural shift in regional trade flows.

The new Medium Range clean tanker freight assessments will reflect spot freight rates for clean tankers carrying refined product cargo. The West Africa-West Africa route will be assessed in lump sum denominated in thousands of US dollars and also $/mt. Following a broad market survey, Platts understands that the predominant WAF-WAF lumpsum trade is based on the Lome-Lagos route. Any information received regarding different loading, discharge ports, cargo size or other specifications may be considered and normalized, where necessary, to align with the standard specifications listed above.

The other three routes -- West Africa to the US Atlantic Coast, West Africa to the Mediterranean, and West Africa to the UK Continent -- will be assessed in Worldscale points and $/mt. The $/mt conversions will be calculated using the average of Worldscale flat rates of the basket of routes listed below.

The main routes for the West Africa to US Atlantic coast assessment will be:

The main routes for the West Africa to the Mediterranean assessment will be:

The main routes for the West Africa to the UK Continent assessment will be:

All four assessments will be assessed at the 16:30 London close, and will follow the London publishing schedule.

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

Please send all comments or questions 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.