Saudi oil price hike to Asia shows relative strength: Clyde Russell
While this may seem unfair to Asian processors, the increase in official selling prices (OSP) by Saudi Aramco is also a sign of the relative health of the region compared to Europe. But the Saudis are now risking shrinking refinery profits in Asia by too much, as happened earlier this year, increasing the likelihood that the OSP premium will be lowered early in 2013.
The state-owned company that is the world's biggest crude exporter raised the OSP for January for its benchmark Arab Light grade to Asia by 35 cents a barrel to a premium of $3.30 over Oman/Dubai.
This was the fifth consecutive increase in the OSP to Asia, and reflects the strength in the region's refining margins and the relatively strong backwardation in Dubai crude.
It's also the highest premium to Oman/Dubai since the $4.15 a barrel in January, a level at which Asian refiners expressed discomfort and one that was subsequently wound back rapidly, with the premium dropping to $1.15 a barrel by June.
In contrast to Asia's higher oil costs, the discount to refiners in Northwest Europe was widened to $1.20 a barrel from December's 20 cents over the Brent Weighted Average. It's generally accepted that Saudi Aramco adjusts its OSPs to reflect moves in the underlying crude in order to maintain relative price stability for customers both in
