Middle East Crude-Dubai, Oman, Murban markets jump to backwardation after Iran attacks UAE tankers

- Middle East crude benchmarks Oman, Dubai and Murban surged on Tuesday from discounts to premiums, as escalating attacks between the U.S. and Iran raised concerns about disruptions to oil exports and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The markets are now in backwardation for the first time in about one month, which means prompt supplies are more expensive than later-date ones, indicating tight supplies.

Iran attacked two Emirati oil tankers, part of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC) fleet to shuttle crude out of the Gulf, for transhipments off the United Arab Emirates and Oman for supplies to customers.

The latest attack on the tankers is likely to deter shippers from entering the Gulf to load oil, with companies that have already chartered vessels closely monitoring the situation, trade and shipping sources said. It has raised concerns among refiners about whether their cargoes will be delivered in the coming weeks, they added.


SINGAPORE CASH DEALS

Cash Dubai's premium to swaps rose $2.74 per barrel to $1.52 a barrel.

Vitol will deliver a September-loading Oman crude cargo to Trafigura following the deals.

SELLER-BUYER

PRICE ($/BBL)

VITOL-TRAFIGURA

81.50

SHENGHONG-MITSUI

81.50

VITOL-TRAFIGURA

81.50

BP-TRAFIGURA

81.60

UNIPEC-TRAFIGURA

81.70

BP-TRAFIGURA

82.50

MERCURIA-TRAFIGURA

82.40

BP-TRAFIGURA

82.70

MERCURIA-TRAFIGURA

82.60

BP-TRAFIGURA

83.20


PRICES ($/BBL)


CURRENT

PREV SESSION

GME OMAN

82.17

72.11

GME OMAN DIFF TO DUBAI

0.49

-1.41

CASH DUBAI

83.20

72.30


NEWS

One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday, in the latest escalation in the strategic waterway.

China's June crude imports slumped 41.3% to their lowest in almost a decade as refinery run rates hit a ten-year low due to weak domestic demand and export curbs on refined oil products to safeguard energy security amid the Iran war.

BP BP.L expects stronger oil and gas prices, robust oil trading and higher refining margins to lift second-quarter earnings, the British energy major said on Tuesday, extending gains from an energy price rally sparked by the Iran war.

Sales of marine fuel in Singapore, the world's largest bunker hub for ships, rose in the first half of 2026 from the same period last year, official data showed on Tuesday, though biofuel sales weakened.


For crude prices, oil product cracks and refining margins, please click on the RICs below.

Brent

BRENTSGMc1

Dubai

DUBSGSWMc2

GME Oman

OQc1

Brent/Dubai EFS

DUB-EFS-1M


PRODUCT CRACKS

Fuel oil crack

FO180SGCKMc1

Gasoil crack

GO10SGCKMc1

Naphtha crack

NAF-SIN-CRK

Gasoline crack

GL92-SIN-CRK

Complex refining margins

REF/MARGIN1


RECENT CRUDE OIL TRADES:
Asia ACRU/T  Europe CRU/T Americas CRU/TU
      
CRUDE OIL MARKET NEWS      
Crude oil tenders in Asia                       CRU/TENDA
Crude oil supply outages in Asia                CRU/OUT-ASIA-O      
Refinery outages in Asia                        REF/OUT-ASIA-O      
Global arbitrage news and flows                 O/CRUDEARB      
W.African crude imports to Asia,  monthly       O/WAFRICA1      
REFINERY MAINTENANCE DIARIES      
Asia REF/A   Middle East REF/ME   Europe REF/E      
                       
NATIONAL CRUDE IMPORT DATA      
Japan     METI/JP1   China   O/CHINA1      
India     O/INDIA2   S.Korea O/KOREA1      
Indonesia O/INDO1-CRU         
                       
CRUDE OIL INVENTORY DATA      
Japan O/JAPAN1  US EIA/S  Europe O/EUROIL1      
                    
CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION/OILFIELD NEWS      
OPEC output survey OPEC/O          New Africa fields    AFR/NEW 
New projects       ENERGY/NEW      New Americas  fields AM/NEW
CRUDE OIL MARKET REPORTS      
Middle East             CRU/MAsia-Pacific         CRU/AP      
West Africa             CRU/WAF  North Sea            CRU/E      
Asia outlook            ASIA/CRU Europe outlook       EUR/CRU      
Global futures report   O/R      Technicals report    O/I      
                            
PRICES      
For all Official Selling  Prices       OSP/O      
For a POLL on oil  prices              O/POLL      
NYMEX and ICE oil  futures             OILOIL      
TOCOM crude oil  futures               0#JCO:      
Dubai, Oman swaps and  spread          ASIA/SWAP/CRUDE      
Middle East physical crude diffs       CRUDE/ASIA2      
Australia physical crude, Tapis swaps  CRUDE/ASIA1      
Asia-Pacific physical crude            CRUDE/ASIA3      
All Asian crude oil  differentials     0#C-DIF-A
All Asian crude oil outright  prices   0#C-A