Trading & Markets Two ships bunkering the same grade on the same day, in ports a few hundred miles apart, can pay materially different prices. Crude explains the general level. Almost everything interesting happens in the layers stacked on top of it. By MarineCraft Journal · 21 August 2026 · 9 mins read 0.50%the sulphur … Read more
Trading & Markets Fuel is the largest single cost of running most ships, and it is the one that moves. Understanding what actually drives the price of very low sulphur fuel oil, and how that price reaches your operating account, is worth more than watching a daily quote. By MarineCraft Journal · 20 August 2026 … Read more
Trading & Markets Three letters in an oil contract decide who pays for the voyage, who insures the cargo, and who carries the loss if it is spilled or stolen. FOB, CIF, and DES are the ones the trade leans on, and each hides a trap that has cost buyers and sellers real money. By … Read more
A bill of lading is receipt, contract, and title all at once. Where ownership really transfers in an oil trade, and why Letters of Indemnity carry real risk.
Most physical crude oil offers that land in a buyer’s inbox are not real. The cargo does not exist, the seller is not who they claim to be, and the only thing that moves is the buyer’s money. Recognising the warning signs is the cheapest insurance in the business.
In commodity trading, documentation isn’t paperwork. It’s the architecture of trust. Across maritime, offshore, and oil and gas supply chains, transparent and disciplined records are what separates a clean trade from a costly dispute, a compliant shipment from a regulatory enforcement action, and a long-term commercial relationship from a one-time transaction gone wrong.
