Market Needs More Refined Products, Not Crude

Copyright © 2026 Energy Intelligence Group All rights reserved. Unauthorized access or electronic forwarding, even for internal use, is prohibited.
refineries,kazakhstan
Alexey Rezvykh/Shutterstock

Governments plan to provide substantial volumes of crude oil to the global market from their strategic stockpiles to boost supplies and lower prices. But it's refined products that are really in short supply. Energy Intelligence takes a look below at the different conditions in the markets for crude oil and refined products.

Topics:
Oil Futures and Derivatives, Oil Supply, Oil Demand, Oil Forecasts, Crude Oil, Oil Products, Refining
Wanda Ad #2 (article footer)
#
Energy Intelligence calculates that seaborne crude and products exports from the Mideast, excluding Iran, fell by nearly three-quarters in March, an unprecedented loss in global supply.
Wed, Apr 1, 2026
Tightness in physical markets is accelerating far beyond what futures prices imply, pointing to big problems ahead without a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Thu, Apr 2, 2026
Oil prices retreated again on Wednesday on hopes that the war in the Middle East is nearing an end, although action in products markets remains worrisome.
Wed, Apr 1, 2026