West African Crude Markets Maintain Stability Amid Asian Competition
West African crude differentials remained stable on Tuesday as medium-grade crude faces increasing competition from Middle Eastern supplies in Asian markets, according to industry analysts.
Sparta Commodities analyst Philip Jones-Lux observed that “heavier Arab Gulf crudes are landing comparatively attractively into the Far East, especially when compared to medium-density barrels out of West Africa, Europe, or the Americas.”
Despite the competitive pressure, West African crude continues to find strong demand in Asia, with approximately 50% of Nigerian and Angolan crude and condensate exports shipped to Asia in 2025 to date, making it the leading importing continent according to Kpler shipping analytics data.
The market experienced a sluggish start to the week following a Chinese public holiday on Monday, with around 11 Angolan cargoes from the July loading program remaining available. However, activity picked up with Indian Oil Corp successfully securing a cargo of Nigerian Agbami crude in a tender on Monday.
The steady differentials reflect the underlying strength of West African crude grades despite facing increased competition from Middle Eastern producers targeting Asian refineries.
Source: bairdmaritime.com
