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Talk of a possible embargo on Russian oil – by year-end?

By: Harry Altham, Energy Analyst, Market Analysis EMEA & Asia

Talk of a possible embargo on Russian oil – by year-end?
 
Harry Altham
Energy Analyst, EMEA & Asia
Brent is trading $1.08 higher from last night’s settlement ($103.42) as the market continues to weigh possible lockdowns in further cities in China. Officially reported cases are at their highest levels since the initial outbreak in Wuhan in January 2020, although provincial statistics from Shanghai suggest that cases are much higher. Beijing is rolling out testing for 20M people this week and has closed outside access to its neighbourhoods to determine the scale of its outbreak, and to ascertain whether a lockdown is necessary. Meanwhile, oil tankers continue to pile up off the coast of China, although Bloomberg is reporting that Russia is now failing to export any of its Sokol blend to China despite having agreed sales of its cargoes for May. The blend is popular with Asian buyers for refining into diesel, but traders are encountering issues with freight companies, who are unwilling to carry the cargo from Russia due to their corporate self-sanctioning regimen against Russia. The net result is a gradual easing of both supply and demand in the region, with the undetermined balance between them causing greater price uncertainty in the short run. 
image 35374
China officially reported COVID cases, compared with global cases for trajectory purposes. Source: WHO
Diesel continues to feel the squeeze
ICE Gasoil has risen by over 3% to reach $1100/t this morning on fresh worries over the global diesel shortage. As well as export problems relating to the Sokol blend, Russia failed to sell its final loading of its flagship Urals crude for May, which had previously been exported to European refineries for diesel production. It is being reported that the European Union is in the process of purchasing its first loading of U.A.E. crude in two years to replace the lost volumes, although considerably more will be required as diesel stockpiles remain low across the continent – we expect gasoil prices to remain elevated until a longer-lasting agreement can be found for Europe to purchase a sour blend of crude from elsewhere – most likely the Middle East.
WILL THE E.U. ANNOUNCE AN EMBARGO IN THE END?
Last week, we wrote an article on the JP Morgan report that suggested an E.U. oil embargo would be imposed as early as this week, in the event that President Macron would win the French election on Sunday – which he achieved with 58.5% of the vote. We have been following developments closely; of particular note was a piece in the Times, which also reported the E.U. is ‘planning’ an embargo, and comments from German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Baerbock, who stated that an embargo would be put into place ‘by the end of the year’. We have also heard comments this morning from Josep Borrell, the E.U. High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who stated that there were some states that were “very clear that they would not support an embargo”. Our conclusion is that it is almost certain that no embargo would be imposed immediately, as there continues to be opposition by some E.U. member states – although it would appear the European Union is attempting to wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons as soon as practicable. We anticipate an embargo might be in place by the end of the year, but we also consider an imminent announcement unlikely – there remains a threat that Russia would cut gas exports in the event of an embargo, which is a stickier situation for the Russian gas-dependent bloc. 
 
 
 
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