Contract Purpose
This differential contract allows market participants to:
- Trade the price spread between Naphtha C+F Japan (MOPJ) and Brent crude oil directly
- Hedge refining margins for naphtha production in Asia using European crude as feedstock
- Manage exposure to both Asian naphtha prices and global crude oil price movements
- Implement trading and risk management strategies reflecting the economics of converting Brent crude into naphtha for Asian markets
Market Significance
Refining Margin Benchmark: Provides a direct tool for tracking and managing the profitability of refining Brent crude into naphtha in Asia
Petrochemical Value Chain Indicator: Captures the price relationship between imported crude oil and naphtha, a key feedstock for Asian petrochemical and gasoline blending industries
Regional Market Barometer: Reflects supply-demand dynamics and seasonal trends in the Asian naphtha and global crude oil markets
Trading Benefits
- Margin Management: Simplifies hedging or trading the naphtha crack spread with a single contract
- Efficient Risk Control: Directly addresses the risk of price movements between crude input and naphtha output
- Capital Efficiency: Reduces margin requirements compared to holding separate positions in both legs
- Operational Flexibility: Supports both physical market hedging and speculative trading strategies
This contract is especially valuable for Asian refiners, petrochemical producers, and trading firms active in the naphtha and crude oil markets. It provides a focused tool for managing the spread between these two vital benchmarks, supporting both operational risk management and speculative opportunities in the region’s energy and petrochemical sectors.