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The conflict in the Middle East has sent ripples across the global energy landscape, with the spotlight on the Strait of Hormuz -- the critical artery for Asia-Pacific's energy imports. Amid trade flow disruptions, the path to recovery, the resilience of physical oil markets, and the broader economic consequences are under intense scrutiny. While the return to normalcy, the evolving dynamics of oil storage, the transmission of supply shocks to Asian economies, and the policy responses shaping the region's future energy strategy are some of the key themes that are dominating the discussions, the market is also looking for answers on transparency in pricing, benchmark adjustments, and market adaptation during turbulent times. In this episode of Platts Oil Markets Podcast by S&P Global Energy, Asia Energy Editor Sambit Mohanty discusses some of the key themes with Atul Arya, chief energy strategist; Daniel Colover, global head of oil and chemicals market engagement; and Vishrut Rana, Asia-Pacific senior economist at S&P Global Ratings.

Dated Brent's record high assessment by Platts of $144.42/barrel stole the headlines on April 7, but physical market fundamentals in the Atlantic basin have similarly brought cash differentials for individual crude oil grades across the North Sea, West Africa and the Mediterranean upwards to levels that, in some cases, have never been seen before. In this episode, Associate Director Emma Kettley is joined by frontline reporters Ernest Puey and George Delaney to explore the impact the war in the Middle East is having on the physical crude oil markets in the European and African region.

As traffic inches back through the Strait of Hormuz, oil and product flows remain constrained, sending buyers scrambling to replace Middle East barrels and lock in reliable diesel supply. With nearly 6 million b/d of Middle East refining capacity at stake, and roughly 4 million b/d of refined products flows, diesel prices have soared, opening export opportunities. Where are buyers turning for diesel, and what policy tools are governments using to soften price shocks? Jeff Mower, Americas Oil News Director, unpacks these issues with Brazil Refined Products Manager Renato Rostas, Americas Middle Distillates Managing Editor Aaron Tucker, and Mexico Energy Editor Sheky Espejo.  

As the conflict in the Middle East has raised the specter of global fuel shortages, Nigeria's new Dangote refinery has attracted growing attention as an alternative supplier. After starting up in 2024, the refinery reached its initial 650,000 b/d capacity for the first time earlier in 2026 and has seen a growing demand for its products from markets further afield. In this podcast, Gary Clark, associate director, EMEA clean refined products at S&P Global Energy, is joined by Matthew Tracey-Cook, senior price reporter on West African refined products, and Kelly Norways, a journalist on the oil news team, to discuss the capacity of Africa's first megarefinery, regional supply risks, and where its product could end up.

From CERAWEEK 2026 in Houston, host Jeff Mower, Director of Americas Oil News, is joined by Senior Upstream Editor Ashok Dutta, oil news editor Binish Azhar, and oil policy reporter Eamonn Brennan to break down the conference's energy security focus. With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed and the Trump administration negotiating with Tehran while signaling it wants to cap oil price spikes, policymakers and executives clash over how fast supply can respond. The crew explores non-Middle East supply opportunities, including rising US Gulf Coast crude fixtures, constrained by pipeline and completion capacity, and a new wave of Canadian barrels pushing toward Asia via the Pacific. A high-stakes reform pitch for Venezuela meets some skepticism.

Tensions between US-Israel and Iran are disrupting flows in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing Asia's LPG market to manage surging prices and shifting optimization to urgent supply management. With Middle East shipments threatened, especially for India and China facing low inventories and weak PDH margins, buyers are scrambling for alternative supplies and shipping. The Platts Oil Markets Podcast covers the immediate impacts: stalled vessels, rising freight rates, record high premiums, and a rapid move toward US LPG diversification, despite export terminal disruptions. The episode also looks ahead at inventory strategies, diversification of supply sources, and whether this crisis will permanently reshape the global LPG trade. Regina Sher, manager of the Asia oil products pricing team, and Norazlina Jumaat and Jeff Ong, reporters for Asia oil products, discuss the impact of this supply disruption on the LPG market.

Benchmark jet fuel assessments by Platts have reached all-time highs on the back of war in the Middle East. With vital middle distillate supplies locked in the Persian Gulf owing to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the knock-on impact for both physical and financial refined products markets in Europe has been unprecedented. In this episode of the Platts Oil Markets podcast, Gary Clark, Associate Director for EMEA Clean Refined Products, is joined by frontline reporters Aruni Sunil and Patrick McAllister to discuss the latest dynamics in the European jet fuel market.

After US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil markets have been on a rollercoaster. While crude has rallied above $100/b, refined fuels have surged even more sharply. In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast, host Jeff Mower, Director of Americas Oil News, is joined by Senior Refining Editor Janet McGurty and Senior Refined Products Price Reporters Ben Peyton and Laura Huchzermeyer to break down what's driving the spike in diesel,  jet fuel, and gasoline prices. Is California heading toward a fuel shortage as refinery closures and global disruptions collide? How vulnerable is the West Coast fuel market, and why is it often described as an "energy island"? Could high diesel, jet, and gasoline prices start hitting the broader economy?

US and Israeli strikes on Iran since Feb. 28 have led to a major regional conflict, which has rocked geopolitics and resonated across the global oil supply chain. Vessel transits across the vital Strait of Hormuz have been stunted, while physical and financial oil markets have seen a major uptick in volatility. In this episode of the Platts Oil Markets podcast, Herman Wang is joined by Lauren Holtmeier, Ada Taib, and Gary Clark to discuss the latest developments on the ground from the Middle East, in addition to the wider knock-on impacts for crude oil markets in Asia and refined products dynamics in Europe. Related content: FACTBOX: Oil prices surge as energy facilities hit in Middle East war Hormuz oil traffic still at standstill despite US insurance pledge (Subscriber content)   Oil derivatives price action climbs amid ongoing Middle East conflict (Subscriber content) US Navy to begin escorting oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz: Trump (Subscriber content) PCAAS00 – Dated Brent (Subscriber content) PCAAT00 – Dubai Mo01 (Subscriber content) PJAAU00 - Jet CIF NWE Cargo (Subscriber content) AAEBS00 - Brent-Dubai at London MOC EFS Mo01 (Subscriber content) DEFSM02 - Brent Dubai at Singapore MOC Mo01 (Subscriber content) AAVBG00 - ULSD 10ppmS CIF NWE Cargo (Subscriber content)            

The outlook for Russian and Venezuelan crude flows, as well as geopolitical developments in Iran, are keeping Asian refiners on edge. Indian refineries have valued heavy Venezuelan crudes in their mix in the past, but will be looking out for signals of stable oil flows from the country. Meanwhile, the country's imports of Russian crude have decreased as sanctions have intensified. In this episode of Platts Oil Markets Podcast, Sambit Mohanty, Asia Energy Editor, Benjamin Tang, head of liquid bulk at S&P Global Commodities at Sea, and Pulkit Agarwal, Head of Content for India, discuss these market developments and more.

Geopolitics and its impact on pricing and trade flows were the talk of the town as oil market participants convened in the cobbled streets of London across Feb. 9-13 for International Energy Week, one of the most important events in the industry's calendar. Following a blockbuster 2026 edition, S&P Global Energy's John Morley, global director of crude and fuel oil markets, sits down with Associate Directors Emma Kettley and Gary Clark to discuss the key takeaways from the week covering the full breadth of the oil complex with crude, fuel oil and refined product dynamics in view.

In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast by S&P Global Energy, host Jeff Mower, Director of Americas Oil News, is joined by Senior Refining Editor Janet McGurty and Senior Upstream Editor Ashok Dutta to break down the biggest takeaways from fourth-quarter oil earnings so far. How are Gulf Coast refiners positioning for a potential return of Venezuelan heavy crude — and what does it mean for heavy crude differentials? On the upstream side, are shale producers truly delivering "more with less" in the Permian through new technologies and lower costs? What's driving the next wave of M&A? From capital discipline to geopolitical risk, this episode explores whether 2026 is shaping up to be a year of measured growth — or strategic transformation — across upstream and refining.

Europe's dependence on imported middle distillates is in sharper focus after the EU's 18th sanctions package halted imports of refined products processed from Russian crude from Jan. 21. Europe is leaning more heavily on replacement supply from the Middle East and the US—driving fresh volatility in diesel and jet fuel differentials even as underlying fundamentals remain mixed. Join Gary Clark, Aruni Sunil, Jan Kedzior, and Rebeka Foley as they unpack how trade flows are being reshuffled, why jet cracks have outperformed diesel, and how geopolitical risk and low buffer stocks are amplifying price swings across Europe's refined product markets.

Tighter European sanctions targeting refined products made from Russian crude are accelerating shifts in global middle distillate trade flows, with Asia increasingly at the center of the impact. By closing loopholes that previously allowed barrels processed outside Russia to re‑enter Europe, the latest measures are forcing market participants to reassess compliance risk, arbitrage economics, and regional supply balances. In this episode, Jonathan Nonis, associate editorial director at Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, is joined by Mei Huey and Rachelle Teo from Platts' Asian editorial team, to examine how the new sanctions are disrupting established trade patterns. They discuss whether barrels could be displaced back into Asia, how Europe may compete for non-Russian origin supply, and what this means for benchmarks such as FOB Arab Gulf and FOB Singapore gasoil and jet fuel, as markets adjust to a more complex and volatile trading environment.

Dated Brent differential soars to three-year high amid a supply crunch driven by disrupted flows of Kazakhstan's CPC Blend crude. However, market participants caution that a potentially swift return of CPC Blend outflows could swell European supplies, dragging on the Dated Brent complex. Join Gary Clark, Associate Director of Price Reporting, EMEA Clean Refined Products, as he discusses this and more with Ernest Puey, Senior Price Reporter, Crude Oil, and senior writer Thomas Washington.