High Tanker Costs Slow Heavy Crude Exports as U.S. Refiners Near Capacity
Photo: TokenPost
Heavy crude is building up across the Americas as steep tanker bills constrain exports and U.S. refineries operating at 93.5% of capacity have little room to process more. Buyers in Asia and Europe are facing shortages of heavy grades. The freight bill for an Americas-to-Asia crude shipment topped $80 million (about $40 a barrel) in the week leading up to Oct. 12. That compared with roughly $10 million to $15 million near the start of 2026. One estimate put a supertanker trip linking the U.S.
Source: TokenPost
