Asia’s diesel markets were still filled with September spot refiner sales, though prices were little changed and the east-west price spreads widened to two-week highs

Several sellers were still in discussions for September spot cargoes, especially India-based refiners, but a wider diesel east-west price spreads allowed for a slight improvement in trading sentiment.

The east-west-price spread widened to its highest discounts in two weeks of around $44 per metric ton, LSEG pricing data showed.

Meanwhile, freight costs to ship around 90,000 tons of middle distillates on the east-west route were down to $3.8-3.9 million, or around $42-43 per ton.

Talks of a newly built very large crude carrier hauling from diesel on the east-west route were prevalent, with Atkos already loaded with some diesel from India via a ship-to-ship transfer.

Markets also received some mild support from talks of halted loadings and production disruption at Russia’s major export region Ust-Luga.

Refining margins barely moved from the last trading session, steadying at $17.2 a barrel.
Cash differentials climbed slightly to 63 cents per barrel, though a lack of deals on window limited overall market fluctuations.
For jet fuel, the Asia-US west coast arbitrage price spread widened slightly at month end.

SINGAPORE CASH DEALS
– No deals for both fuels

REFINERY NEWS
– Phillips 66’s PSX.N 356,000 barrels-per-day Wood River refinery in Illinois had issues with its crude unit, trading sources said on Friday.
– Exxon Mobil Corp plans a six-week overhaul in February 2026 on the small crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 612,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont, Texas, refinery, said people familiar with plant operations.

NEWS
– Oil prices rose on Monday after Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russia, fanning concerns Russian oil supply could be disrupted, while expectations for a cut in U.S. interest rates buoyed the outlook for global growth and fuel demand.
– Ukraine launched a drone attack on Russia on Sunday, forcing a sharp fall in the capacity of a reactor at one of Russia’s biggest nuclear power plants and sparking a huge blaze at the major Ust-Luga fuel export terminal, Russian officials said.
Source: Reuters