Argus Media

Tightened Supply Chains: Strait of Hormuz & Bitumen Markets

Strait of Hormuz disruption is putting bitumen markets under pressure across Europe and Africa, tightening supply, driving up prices and forcing buyers to rethink purchasing and project plans.

Host Irina Vinogradova (Senior Manager, Analytics & Consulting) is joined by Argus experts Keyvan Hedvat (Europe & Africa Editor, Argus Bitumen Reports) and Oliver Thompson (Analyst, Europe Consulting Team) to break down where the pressure is building most, how the market is responding and what it means for the months ahead.

Key themes:

• Price shock: $382/t in February, above $607/t in March, with further upside risk
• Europe refinery strain, lower bitumen yields and tighter regional supply
• South Africa’s growing reliance on imports and increased vulnerability to disrupted Middle East flows
• 2026 outlook shaped by tighter balances, with Africa’s bitumen imports forecast at 2.7mn t

Please note, this podcast was recorded recently during ongoing market volatility. For the latest insights and data, explore Argus bitumen and asphalt coverage

Strait Talk: False Dawn or Real Don?

With tensions in the Middle East continuing to escalate, this episode breaks down the outcome of Project Freedom, Iran’s creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, and the implications for global shipping and negotiations. It also explores evolving ceasefire proposals and the impact on Gulf economic stability.

Join Tom Reed, VP – China, Crude & Oil Products, alongside Dubai-based experts Nader Itayim, Middle East Editor, and Bachar Halabi, senior correspondent, for this exclusive discussion.

Global LPG Conversations: From shock to softness: Why the European propane market eased

 

A closer look at how shifting trade routes and constrained transit are changing propane market dynamics in Europe and beyond.

 

 

The European propane market has begun to decouple from global price movements, lagging further behind Asia‑Pacific gains with each passing week. With around 30% of global seaborne supply removed from the market following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, tightening conditions might have been expected to affect all buyers. Yet, Europe has so far remained relatively insulated.

 

 

One of the key reasons for this asymmetry lies along the most important artery for eastbound flows of US product, the Panama Canal. Persistent congestion and limited transit availability continue to reshape trade routes and alter regional market balances.

 

 

Argus International LPG editor Peter Wilton is joined by associate editor Efcharis Sgourou to unpack the fundamentals driving this divergence in European propane markets and to assess what it could mean for the fuel’s outlook in the months ahead.

Falando de Mercado: Escassez de navios no pré-sal

 

A disponibilidade de embarcações para escoamento de petróleo em alto-mar é um gargalo para a expansão da produção do pré-sal. Participantes de mercado temem que a frota de navios DP seja insuficiente para atender ao crescimento da produção nos próximos anos. Acompanhe a conversa entre Conrado Mazzoni, gerente de desenvolvimento de negócios da Argus, e João Scheller, responsável pela precificação de petróleos na América Latina. 

 

Alguns dos temas discutidos neste episódio:

 

• Frota de navios DP no Brasil e no resto do mundo

• Expansão da infraestrutura logística e portuária

• Aumento da produção petrolífera e das exportações

Market Talks: Vessel Shortage in the Pre‑Salt

 

The availability of vessels for offshore oil transportation is a bottleneck for the expansion of crude production in Brazil. Market participants fear that the fleet of Dynamic Positioning ships will be insufficient to meet output growth in the coming years. Listen to this conversation between Conrado Mazzoni, business development manager based in Sao Paulo, and João Scheller, who handles crude oil pricing in Latin America.

Some of the topics discussed in this episode:

 

• DP ship fleet in Brazil and worldwide

• Expansion of logistics and port infrastructure

• Increase in oil production and exports

Power Dispatch: Modulate and Modernise: A New Atomic Age?

Nuclear power remains a central topic in today's headlines and policy papers, as policymakers and market participants look for dispatchable low‑carbon generation. Strategies under consideration range from life‑extensions to new builds and emerging technologies.

In this episode of The Power Dispatch, Daniel Craig, Senior Reporter of Argus European Electricity, speaks with French market specialist Rhys Talbot and market reporter Jessamy Guest. Together they explore how existing and planned nuclear capacity is interacting with greater renewable penetration and examine the pace of development across Europe.

Listen to discover key insights on:

 

• New capacity plans across different regions

• Phase outs, life extensions, capture rates and small modular reactors.

• Lessons from France: what might a nuclear-renewables grid look like?

 

This podcast was created using data and insights from the Argus European Electricity service.

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Biomass Beat: Key Takeaways from the Argus Biomass Conference

In this episode of The Biomass Beat, Argus experts revisit key messages from the Argus Biomass Conference, held in London on 21–23 April.

 

Host Hannah Adler, Senior Reporter for Argus Biomass Markets, is joined by Marta Imarisio, Senior Market Reporter, and Jeff Kuntz, Editor, to discuss industry sentiment and dominant themes—both on stage and behind the scenes.

 

Drawing on discussions with producers, utilities, traders and technology providers, the team shares their perspectives on what these insights mean for the market outlook.

 

Listen to the episode to explore:

• How market sentiment has shifted, with greater optimism than many expected. 
• Why multi‑year highs in European pellet prices were a key focus.
• Differences in perspective among producers, buyers and technology firms
• The implications of looming subsidy expiries for biomass-fired plants
• How lower stocks after recent heating seasons are influencing market behaviour

 

Argus offers biomass prices, news, analysis, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial. 

Driving Discussions: ARDA South Africa rundown

Deputy editor of Argus European Oil Products Report George Maher-Bonnett shares key takeaways from one of Africa’s leading downstream conferences - the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) - with editor Benedict George. They touch on the US-Iran conflict's impacts on Africa, while also delving into the continent's refining landscape and fuel markets.

Negative Emissions: Biochar’s test as a scalable CO2 removal

In this episode, Shribalaji Shenbagaraj, Senior Carbon Reporter of Argus, speaks with Kavin Kandaswamy, CEO of ProClime, to examine whether biochar can transition from a project‑by‑project removal solution into a credible, investable carbon market.

 

Listen to discover key insights on:

• Where biochar sits in the current carbon removal hierarchy

• Emerging markets driving supply and what limits supply growth today

• Where is demand coming from and how can it be boosted

• Price formation and risk allocation

Learn more about the Argus Carbon service

Hablando de Mercado: Refinerías y Vaca Muerta

 

El shale oil de Vaca Muerta forzó una transformación del sistema de refinación de Argentina, que originalmente había sido diseñado para crudos pesados. Este cambio tuvo un impacto correspondiente en la canasta de productos refinados disponibles tanto para el mercado argentino como para la región. Para saber más, escuche esta conversación entre el gerente de desarrollo de negocios de Argus, Nazareno Ferrero, en Buenos Aires, y Camila Fontana, subjefa de la oficina de Argus en São Paulo. 

 

Estos son algunos de los temas abordados en este episodio: 

 

• Refinerías inversionan para procesar crudos más livianos 

• Exportaciones de GLP desde Argentina 

• Creciente sobreoferta de naftas de bajo octanaje 

• Oportunidades en combustible de aviación