Global Petroleum Advisors · Buyer resources
Petroleum Product Pricing Guide & Market Benchmarks
Petroleum product prices depend on more than the headline oil price. Grade, trading location, delivery terms and timing all affect what a buyer pays. This guide explains how to compare benchmarks for EN590 diesel, AGO/gasoil, jet fuel, crude oil and heavy fuel oils before requesting a commercial offer.
What is a petroleum price benchmark?
A benchmark is a reference for a defined market. It may reflect a physical product assessment, a futures contract or an average over a reporting period. Those references can move differently, so their names, dates and units matter.
S&P Global Platts publishes assessments for specific petroleum grades and locations. A commercial contract may use a named assessment plus or minus an agreed differential. A benchmark alone does not confirm a supplier’s price, available stock or product quality.
This is a pricing guide. It does not publish today’s Platts rates or calculate a firm offer. Any separate price reference should identify its source, assessment date, product, location, basis and unit.
Which benchmark fits your product?
| Product | Reference to identify | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| EN590 / diesel 10 ppm | Relevant regional ultra-low-sulfur diesel or gasoil assessment | Full specification, sulfur limit, seasonal grade, loading location and delivery basis. A 10 ppm benchmark alone does not establish full EN590 compliance. |
| AGO / gasoil | Assessment matching the contracted gasoil grade | AGO, HSD and gasoil labels need an accompanying specification; do not assume every series represents the same product. |
| Jet fuel / Jet A-1 | Regional jet-fuel assessment or clearly labelled weekly indicator | Fuel specification, market, unit and period. A global refinery average is different from a delivered Jet A-1 cargo offer. |
| Crude oil | Named physical benchmark or explicitly identified futures contract | Crude grade, quality differential and pricing window. Platts Dated Brent and ICE Brent futures are different references. |
| D6 / heavy fuel oil | Agreed residual-fuel marker matching the cargo specification | Exact grade, sulfur, viscosity, density and delivery terms. Do not treat a generic “D6” label as a complete benchmark definition. |
| Mazut / M100 | Suitable heavy-fuel cargo assessment | Contracted specification and sulfur content. NWE 3.5% sulfur fuel-oil cargo assessments reflect a Mazut-100-like specification, but a bunker indication is not automatically an equivalent cargo price. |
EN590 pricing: Rotterdam versus Fujairah
Rotterdam / ARA
The Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp market has distinct barge and cargo references. One Platts reference is ULSD 10 ppm FOB ARA Barges, AAJUS00, quoted in USD per metric tonne. Confirm whether the offer uses this marker or another NWE FOB/CIF assessment.
Fujairah
Gasoil 10 ppm FOB Fujairah, AFUJP00, is a separate Platts assessment quoted in USD per barrel. Keep its original unit or identify the conversion method. Comparing it directly with a Rotterdam USD/MT figure would be misleading.
Regional supply, freight and timing can create price differences between the hubs. Compare the same assessment date and compatible quality, delivery basis and units before judging which offer costs less.
FOB and CIF: compare the same delivery basis
FOB — named shipment port
Under FOB, the seller delivers on board the buyer-nominated vessel at the named shipment port. The buyer generally arranges the main carriage. Evaluate those transport costs alongside the quoted product price.
CIF — named destination port
Under CIF, the seller arranges and pays the specified freight and cargo insurance to the destination port. Risk still transfers when the goods are on board at shipment; it does not wait until arrival. Confirm unloading, duties and other charges separately.
Identify the named port and applicable Incoterms® version in the offer. FOB Rotterdam and CIF to a destination port are different commercial bases, even when the fuel specification matches.
How to compare a petroleum supply offer
Agreed benchmark ± commercial differential, with other costs included or added according to the contract.
- Match the product: request the exact specification and supporting quality documentation.
- Name the reference: record the assessment name or code, source, currency and unit.
- Check the timing: distinguish a single-day price from a weekly or monthly average; confirm the contract’s pricing window.
- Confirm the total: identify freight, insurance, terminal charges, inspection and other applicable costs without counting included charges twice.
- Check the offer: confirm quantity, delivery schedule, validity and the seller’s ability to supply.
Petroleum pricing questions
What is today’s EN590 10 ppm price?
There is no single worldwide EN590 price. A useful answer needs the trading location, specification, FOB/CIF basis, quantity and date. This guide does not claim to provide a current assessment; request a dated offer for your requirement.
Does “Platts minus” tell me the final price?
No. The offer must name the exact assessment, differential, pricing period, currency, unit and included costs. “Platts minus” without those details is incomplete.
Can I use a weekly average as today’s cargo price?
Only as a clearly labelled reference for its stated period. For example, IATA’s Platts-derived jet-fuel monitor reports weekly averages rather than a firm quotation for a specific cargo.
Are market benchmarks proof of available supply?
No. A published reference does not verify inventory, seller authority, quality or delivery capacity. Those need separate checks for the transaction.
Compare supply against your requirements.
Include product, grade, quantity, destination, preferred terms and delivery schedule.