The Rotterdam Barges 0.55 Crack contract is a commodity Spread Bet (SB) in the Fuel Oil group that represents the price differential between Marine Fuel 0.5% FOB Rotterdam Barges and Brent 1st Line crude oil futures.
Contract Purpose
This commodity differential spread bet contract allows market participants to:
- Gain exposure to the crack spread between 0.5% sulphur fuel oil in Rotterdam and crude oil
- Hedge against price fluctuations in the European fuel oil market relative to crude oil
- Speculate on the future price relationship between low sulphur fuel oil and crude oil
Market Significance
- Refinery Economics: Reflects the profitability of producing low sulphur fuel oil from crude oil
- Environmental Regulations: Indicates the impact of IMO 2020 sulphur regulations on fuel oil pricing
- Regional Indicator: Provides insights into supply and demand dynamics for low sulphur fuel oil in Northwest Europe
Trading Benefits
- Spread Trading: Offers a convenient way to trade the price differential between fuel oil and crude oil
- Risk Management: Allows refineries and shipping companies to hedge their exposure to fuel oil crack spreads
- Market Access: Provides exposure to a key European fuel oil benchmark through a standardised financial instrument
This contract is particularly valuable for refineries, shipping companies, trading houses, and financial institutions active in the European fuel oil market. It offers a tool for managing price risks and implementing trading strategies related to the 0.5% sulphur fuel oil crack spread in Rotterdam, with accessibility through the MT5 platform and cash settlement based on Platts and ICE assessments.
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