(a) Crude oil and petroleum products
Tanker trade is projected to grow by a sluggish 2.1 per
cent with crude oil and petroleum product shipments,
respectively, increasing by 1.2 per cent and 3.6 per cent
(Clarkson Research Services, 2014c). The major story
in crude oil trade patterns remains the shale revolution
in the United States that has caused imports into the
country to plummet and has created the potential
for the United States to emerge as a global crude oil
exporter. Elsewhere, exports from North Africa are
expected to be constrained by civil unrest, ageing
fields and relatively poor infrastructure. Shipments
from Western Asia and West Africa are expected to
continue their diversion from North America towards
Asia, in particular China, as these regions require new
export markets and as China continues to diversify
its sources of supply. This forecast is set against a
background of shifting energy growth from advanced
countries to developing regions, with nearly the entire
projected growth taking place in the latter, in particular
China and increasingly India (British Petroleum,
2014b).
Consequently, new trading lanes both for refined
petroleum products and crude oil are emerging, driven
by changes in production, volume and structure of
demand as well as the location of global refineries.
These new patterns suggest that oil is likely to continue
to move closer to markets, with the marginal barrel
of production moving west to North America and
the refining capacity shifting towards Asia (UNCTAD,
2013). The new trade routes will create new long-haul
voyages, leading to more ton–miles for crude tankers.
If the 1975 ban on crude exports is overturned in
the United States, crude oil exports from the country
can be expected in the next two years (Lloyd’s List,
2014b).
Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions continue to weigh
down on tanker-trade growth prospects. The
contribution of the Islamic Republic of Iran remains
uncertain, despite the interim agreement reached in
2013 with a view to easing the international sanctions
on its tanker market sector. Furthermore, an escalation
in tensions in key producing and exporting areas,
including in Western Asia, North Africa and parts of
sub-Saharan Africa, remain an overriding risk.
Demand for refined petroleum products is expected
to continue to grow driven by increasing requirements
in developing Asia and America, in particular as
these countries embark on their industrialization path
and as existing refining capacity remains insufficient
(UNCTAD, 2013). Growth in petroleum products
trade is expected to strengthen on long-haul routes
from Western Asia and India in the direction of the Far
East (UNCTAD, 2013). Crude oil imports into China
are expected to increase by 10.0 per cent in 2014
while domestic production will increase by a marginal
1.0 per cent (Clarkson Research Services, 2014f).
Imports into Japan are projected to grow in 2014,
driven by the closure of a number of refineries. This
in turn will also likely undermine growth in crude oil
imports.