The Officials Benchmarks | It’s a bunfight! Skip to main content

It’s a bunfight!

Today brought the latest episode of headline headaches, Europe's product crunch is biting hard, US refiners are walking a tightrope and no a
Published: 20 July 2026
Written by:
Will Cunliffe

Will Cunliffe

Research Analyst, The Officials
Will Cunliffe
and
Edward Hayden-Briffett

Edward Hayden-Briffett

Research Analyst, The Officials
Edward Hayden-Briffett
Reviewed by:
Jorge Montepeque

Jorge Montepeque

Head of Benchmarking, The Officials
Jorge Montepeque
Edition: Euro EditionVolume: 3Issue: 138
Share

Today brought the latest episode of headline headaches, Europe's product crunch is biting hard, US refiners are walking a tightrope and no airline is safe from jet fuel prices!

What a day of headlines! The US and Iran knocked the living daylights out of each other over the weekend and markets opened much higher, back in the $90s. Then, proposals for a 10-day cessation of strikes brought Brent back down to below Friday’s close. But the Houthis couldn’t let that stand! They threatened to impose a ‘sea navigation ban’ on Saudi Arabian routes, causing a panic over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and prices to jump to over $88 again! There are more hits coming on ships in the Strait. The newly built Acheloos (IMO: 1087524), operated by Dynacom, was damaged in a strike and is now adrift. A source hinted it was chartered by the Saudis. Dynacom tankers have been among the most prolific transiters of the Strait since Marchban or no ban – but eventually it has caught up to them!

Premium Content

To continue reading this page, please login or subscribe now.

The Officials publish outright values, spreads, cracks and boxes for the main energy commodities traded in the marketplace. The published values are determined independently and on a fair market basis by our team of dedicated professionals.

We invite you to read our reports, which are published twice a day, reflecting closing values at 16:30 Singapore time (SGT) and at 16:30 London time (GMT/BST). For any comments, please reach out to us through the emails provided in the signed documents.

About Euro Edition

Benchmark reports published at the close of the trading day in London.

More News

What goes up must come down

Edition: Euro Edition
Prices have fallen as quick and as hard as they rose! The US and Iran continue to exchange blows whilst the Houthis try their hand at diplom
24 July 2026

Peering Eye 1.36

Edition: Peering Eye
The Red Sea has been deserted as we bring you ship tracking data from the Bab el-Mandeb while Dubai and Fujairah tanker counts surge.
24 July 2026

Back down under

Edition: Asia Edition
Brent is back below $100 and Murban mania continues! Trump's offered to pay for tanker damage incurred in the Straits with Iranian funds whi
24 July 2026