Contract Purpose
This differential contract allows market participants to:
- Trade the price spread between Singapore 180cst Fuel Oil and crude oil directly
- Hedge the refining margin for high sulfur fuel oil production in the Asian market
- Manage exposure to both product (fuel oil) and crude price movements
- Implement trading and risk management strategies that reflect the economics of converting crude into fuel oil in the Asian market
Market Significance
Refining Margin Benchmark: Provides a direct tool for tracking and managing the profitability of refining crude into 180cst fuel oil in Asia
Regional Price Indicator: Captures the economic relationship between crude supply and Asian fuel oil demand, important for shipping and power industries
Market Dynamics Barometer: Reflects regional supply-demand balances and regulatory impacts on high sulfur fuel oil markets
Trading Benefits
- Margin Management: Simplifies hedging or trading the fuel oil crack spread with a single contract
- Efficient Risk Control: Directly addresses the risk of price movements between crude input and fuel oil output
- Capital Efficiency: Reduces margin requirements compared to holding separate positions in both legs
- Regional Exposure: Provides focused access to Asian fuel oil market dynamics
This contract is especially valuable for Asian refiners, shipping companies, power generators, and trading firms active in the fuel oil and crude oil markets. It provides a specialized tool for managing the spread between these two vital benchmarks, supporting both operational hedging and speculative trading strategies in a key regional energy market.