Dr Copper ?
Source: Bloomberg
Oil-equity correlations break during oil supply shocks
Source: zerohedge JP Morgan
🧠 The global oil market has split into two separate systems:
Asia: Paying very high prices (~$150+/barrel) US/West: Paying much lower prices (~$95–$105/barrel) T This as an unprecedented “broken” market driven by geopolitics, not normal supply/demand. ⚠️ Main Reasons Strait of Hormuz disruption: A major shipping route (≈20% of global oil supply) is allegedly blocked or restricted. Geopolitical tensions (Iran): Seen as the key player controlling whether supply resumes. Emergency reserves released: Large releases from global and US reserves are being used to stabilize prices. US reserves are described as historically low. 📊 Key Effects 1. Two-tier pricing system Countries with domestic oil (like the US) are better protected. Import-dependent Asian economies pay much more. 2. Economic strain in Asia High oil prices → rising costs → factories slowing or shutting down. Early signs of “demand destruction” (reduced consumption due to high prices). 3. Shrinking safety buffers Strategic oil reserves may only last weeks at current usage rates. Limited ability to replenish during conflict. 4. Rising US fuel prices Gas prices expected to increase significantly if oil rises further. 5. Inflation risk Higher energy costs could: Push inflation back up Force central banks to delay or reverse rate cuts 6. Iran’s leverage Iran is portrayed as holding decisive control over supply routes. Ongoing conflict reduces chances of quick resolution. Source: zerohedge
The US is now one of the largest oil exporters in the world:
US crude oil and petroleum exports hit 3.9 BILLION barrels in 2025, according to the EIA. The Netherlands is the largest buyer at 419 million barrels (10.7%), serving as Europe's largest oil trading hub. Four of the top 7 importers are in Asia, with South Korea (257M), Japan (247M), China (238M), and India (221M) combining for ~24.8% of total US oil exports. Mexico (398M) and Canada (324M) round out the top 3, with North American neighbors combining for 18.5% of total volume. US oil is now flowing to virtually every corner of the globe. Source: Global Markets Investor
Latest OPEC+ production data heading into the Iran War, as well as estimates of how much production has already been shut in across the Gulf
Source: Rory Johnston
Oil is at $104
Bloomberg estimates ➡️ the Iran war accounts for about a third of the price
Dubai Physical Prices vs. Brent Futures
As highlighted by Anton Likhodedov @ALikhodedov on X: Many people are questioning why Brent futures aren’t higher and pointing out the massive premium of Dubai oil physical versus Brent futures (see post by Joumanna Bercetche on X his morning following her interview with Brent futures probably don’t fully reflect the severity of the current situation, but a few additional points—building on Michael’s chart on the right —are worth considering: 1) Brent reflects forward delivery and location differences. Brent is currently trading the May contract, and in about two weeks the market will roll to June. These contracts represent crude loading in the North Sea, while much of the incremental demand is in Asia. 2) Shipping times significantly affect the landed price. Looking at the Sparta dashboard, voyage times from the North Sea (for example Hound Point for Forties) to key Asian destinations are roughly: India / Singapore / South Korea: ~37–48 days By comparison: Fujairah → India (Sikka): under 3 days Fujairah → Singapore: about 11 days When you factor in these logistics, the difference in arrival times is substantial, which explains a large portion of the price discrepancy. 3) Crude quality also matters. As June Goh from Sparta explains in the article below, Asian refiners are also dealing with crude slate optimization and diversification, which affects pricing dynamics. That said, the gap between landed prices of Atlantic Basin cargoes and Fujairah cargoes has widened significantly. As a result, some Asian refiners are beginning to consider Brent despite the longer shipping time. A notable example: Trafigura sold a cargo of about 700,000 barrels for late-March loading to a Thai refiner. It’s reportedly the first time a Thai company has bought North Sea crude since at least 2019, when Bloomberg began tracking the data.
All about oil
SPX and oil moving in pretty much perfect inverse tandem. Correlations since March 4th around 96%. Source: TME
