ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Exploring the global bitumen trends in 2026, with a closer look at how disruption to Middle Eastern oil supplies has exposed the Asia’s reliance on refinery operations and reshaped the region’s bitumen outlook.
The global bitumen market has shifted from concerns over demand to the resilience of supply. Asia's limited access to preferred bituminous crude, lower refinery throughput and stronger returns from transport fuels have constrained production and pushed seaborne prices to record highs.
Drawing on the latest Argus Bitumen Analytics, Oliver Thompson (Global Lead, Argus Bitumen Analytics), Swasti Dharmadhikari (Lead Bitumen Analyst, Asia) and Sathya Narayanan (Associate Editor, Argus Bitumen) examine how these pressures are changing regional trade and what could support a recovery from 2027.
Listen to discover:
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What is driving the loss in global bitumen production, forecast at only 117mn t despite having 185mn t/yr of installed capacity
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How crude constraints pushed Asian seaborne prices to record highs
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Why Middle East-India freight costs have risen from below $100/t to more than $300/t
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How China’s recovery and India’s demand growth will shape Asia’s outlook through 2030
Argus Bitumen Analytics combines forward-looking global and regional analysis with country-level supply and demand balances covering more than 100 countries. Explore the latest report for deeper insight into the refinery economics, production trends and changing trade flows shaping bitumen markets through 2030.
