Global Editor, Base Oil News

Iain Pocock

Global Editor

Global Base Oils and Lubricants Markets

Base Oil News

Base Oil News focuses on the interplay between fundamentals and prices in the global base oils and lubricants markets.

Baseoilnews.com combines daily, weekly and monthly base oils and lubes fundamentals data from every region of the world to build the most comprehensive and up-to-date global picture of the state of the market.

The data and analysis provide key tools to understand current market developments and opportunities and to anticipate how the market is likely to behave in the coming months.

Base oils producers, lube blenders and consumers can then better plan accordingly.

Baseoilnews.com analyses and publishes market news and data every day as it breaks.

Commodities

Base oil is the main component in the production of lubricants including greases, motor oil and processing fluids. They constitute around 90 percent in lubricants. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has categorized base oils into five categories. Group I, II and III are refined from crude.

<ul><li>Global base oils prices rise sharply vs feedstock/gasoil prices.</li><li>Price premiums climb at time of year when they typically rise strongly in response to firmer supply-demand fundamentals.</li><li>Rise in price premiums in April 2025 coincides with slump in crude oil prices.</li></ul>

Global base oils prices rise sharply vs feedstock/gasoil prices.Price premiums climb at time of year when they typically rise strongly in response to firmer supply-demand fundamentals.Rise in price premiums in April 2025 coincides with slump in crude oil prices.

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 14 April

<ul><li>US base oils export price discount to Asia base oils prices stays wide so far this year.</li><li>Wide price discount facilitates shipment of surplus supplies to markets like India.</li><li>US base oils and lube exports to India surge in Feb 2025, reflecting that dynamic.</li></ul>

US base oils export price discount to Asia base oils prices stays wide so far this year.Wide price discount facilitates shipment of surplus supplies to markets like India.US base oils and lube exports to India surge in Feb 2025, reflecting that dynamic.

Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 14 April

<ul><li>Asia’s base oils prices surge relative to feedstock and gasoil prices.</li><li>Surge in margins include light-grade base oils, for which supply is more readily available.</li><li>Increasingly high margins and closed arbitrage to other markets by contrast points to tight supply.</li></ul>

Asia’s base oils prices surge relative to feedstock and gasoil prices.Surge in margins include light-grade base oils, for which supply is more readily available.Increasingly high margins and closed arbitrage to other markets by contrast points to tight supply.

Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 14 April

<ul><li>US base oils supply shows signs of staying at sufficient levels despite plant maintenance work, seasonal rise in demand and slump in imports in Feb 2025.</li><li>Ongoing flow of shipments to West Africa reflects persistent availability of surplus volumes.</li><li>US base oils prices surge relative to feedstock and heating oil prices in April 2025.</li></ul>

US base oils supply shows signs of staying at sufficient levels despite plant maintenance work, seasonal rise in demand and slump in imports in Feb 2025.Ongoing flow of shipments to West Africa reflects persistent availability of surplus volumes.US base oils prices surge relative to feedstock and heating oil prices in April 2025.

Americas/EMEA base oils supply outlook: Week of 14 April

<ul><li>Asia’s base oils demand likely to be more muted as unusually extreme market volatility boosts incentive for buyers to keep inventories at lower levels.</li><li>Uncertainty about outlook and sharp fall in crude oil prices so far this month add to incentive to hold back.</li><li>Blenders could face lower-than-usual inventories at start of Q2 2025 because of tight supply and firm demand in Q1 2025.</li></ul>

Asia’s base oils demand likely to be more muted as unusually extreme market volatility boosts incentive for buyers to keep inventories at lower levels.Uncertainty about outlook and sharp fall in crude oil prices so far this month add to incentive to hold back.Blenders could face lower-than-usual inventories at start of Q2 2025 because of tight supply and firm demand in Q1 2025.

Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 14 April

Baseoilnews.com combines fundamentals and price data to explain global trends in the base oils and lubricants market. 

The insights help to explain current market dynamics and to anticipate how the market is likely to behave in the coming months.

Market participants can then better plan accordingly. 

Baseoilnews.com analyses and publishes market news and data every day as it breaks.

Iain Pocock
Global Editor
• Base Oil News

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 14 April

Global base oils prices rise sharply vs feedstock/gasoil prices. Price premiums climb at time of year when they typically rise strongly in...

Base Oil News

Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 14 April

US base oils export price discount to Asia base oils prices stays wide so far this year. Wide price discount facilitates shipment of surplus...

Base Oil News

Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 14 April

Asia’s base oils prices surge relative to feedstock and gasoil prices. Surge in margins include light-grade base oils, for which supply is more...

Base Oil News

Americas/EMEA base oils supply outlook: Week of 14 April

US base oils supply shows signs of staying at sufficient levels despite plant maintenance work, seasonal rise in demand and slump in imports in...

Base Oil News

Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 14 April

Asia’s base oils demand likely to be more muted as unusually extreme market volatility boosts incentive for buyers to keep inventories at lower...

Base Oil News