Trade with Conviction

View the video of this podcast at www.spartacommodities.com Ahead of our IE Week bash at Bentley, the Sparta Market Outlook team went live from our London office for this special episode! Felipe, Neil, Jorge, and James break down key market trends during IE Week, discussing how the new Trump administration is shifting global trade dynamics and oil price sentiment from bullish to bearish. They anal...

Ahead of our IE Week bash at Bentley, the Sparta Market Outlook team went live from our London office for this special episode! Felipe, Neil, Jorge, and James break down key market trends during IE Week, discussing how the new Trump administration is shifting global trade dynamics and oil price sentiment from bullish to bearish. They analyse the sharp drop in gasoline naphtha spreads, the recovery...

In this special bonus episode of Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, host @Rachel welcomes guest @Julien Mathonnière, Oil Market Economist at @Energy Intelligence, along with Sparta’s @Neil and @Phil, to discuss key macroeconomic indicators, the energy transition, and long-term oil demand trends through 2025 and beyond. Topics include the peaking of diesel demand, China’s rapid transition (e.g., LNG tr...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, recorded live in Singapore, our team of experts - Felipe, Hoa, June, and Neil - delve into the latest trends and developments in the oil market with an East of Suez focus. We discuss critical data releases such as JODI, the potential impact of KRG crude returning to international markets, and shifting geopolitical sands. The podcast also covers...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, host Rachel Williams, joined by analysts Neil and Phil, analyse natural gas prices, cold weather and the potential impact of geopolitical events, such as Trump-Putin talks. We delve into strong refinery margins, healthy gasoil cracks, seemingly very tight residue markets, a glut in light crude in the Atlantic Basin. We set out our trades for th...

The latest episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast the team looks at the impact of U.S. trade policies and geopolitical tensions. The team discuss the recent tariff developments involving China, Canada, and Mexico, emphasising their limited immediate effect on crude flows but highlighting potential long-term disruptions, particularly with the EU. They also analyse the evolving crude market, n...

In this special bonus episode of Sparta Market Outlook Felipe, Neil and Michael welcome guest Mads Frank Markussen, Head of Freight Research & FFA at CM Navigator, to discuss all things freight.   Mads and the Sparta team explore the impact of Trump’s tariffs, sanctions, and market inefficiencies on oil and freight trading, how tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China could shift trade flows, pote...

This episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast features host Felipe Elink Schuurman and analysts Jorge, James, Michael, and Neil, exploring the effects of recent OFAC sanctions on Russian oil, geopolitical influences like potential Trump policies. They discuss crude oil spreads, the possible reopening of the Suez route, and regional product market trends, including the impact of the Dangote ref...

In the latest Sparta Market Outlook Podcast episode, CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman and the team discuss the delayed tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil, how shipping sanctions affect dirty freight and crude markets, and the diverging fortunes of refining in Asia vs Europe. They highlight trading opportunities in West African crude due to favourable pricing, note the pressure on European gas stocks fr...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Rachel Williams is joined by analysts Phil and John, along with first-time guest Hoa, to discuss key developments in the oil market for early 2025. Hoa brings extensive experience, having led fuel oil analysis at Trafigura and worked across crude, diesel, and APAC power markets. With a background in global fixed income trading and equity resear...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman and his team delve into the global oil market for the first time in 2025. They discuss the rally in natgas and its impact on oil, plus short-term outlooks for crude and products, with crude bullish and products mixed. 

In this special Christmas edition of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Felipe Elink Schuurman and analysts Neil, June, and Jorge discuss the 2025 oil market. They analyse Brent flat price scenarios, highlighting potential U.S. sanctions, OPEC+ strategies, and differing supply forecasts.   The podcast explores East-West spreads for naphtha and gasoline, noting a bullish outlook for naphtha due to...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, hosted by Sparta CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman along with analysts Neil, Phil, and James, key oil market trends were explored. Topics included OPEC+'s delayed supply increases, contrasting IEA and EIA forecasts, and skepticism surrounding China's vague stimulus announcements. Geopolitical risks, such as potential U.S. sanctions, were analysed for...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, CEO Felipe Elink Schuurman joins analysts June, Neil, and Phil to explore global oil market dynamics, focusing on China's shifting crude import strategies. They discuss reduced Iranian crude imports due to U.S. sanctions, increased demand for alternative medium-sour crudes from West Africa and the Middle East, and the broader implications of OP...

In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Rachel, Neil, Phil, and James explore the latest oil market trends, focusing on OPEC+ strategies, rising refining margins in Europe and Asia, and tightening product markets due to reduced Chinese exports and Middle Eastern supply constraints. They also examine price divergences between sweet and medium crude grades and their implications for re...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, Felipe, Neil, and Michael are joined by new guest John Coleman (Crude Commodity Owner for Sparta) as the team delves into the latest developments across the oil and freight markets. The team dives into the latest energy market developments, including bullish trends in gasoil d...

For more information about Sparta, visit our website at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, the team discusses the current state of global oil markets, starting with OPEC+'s decision to delay a planned supply hike, signalling potential bearish implications despite appearing as a bullish move. The episode dives into the U.S. crude supply, revealing recent...

For more information about Sparta, visit our website at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook Podcast, host Felipe and his team, including new member June Goh, Senior Market Analyst, dive into recent developments in global oil markets, focusing on shifts in the crude and clean product sectors. They discuss the surprising strength in U.S. refinery runs, rising crude...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook, Felipe, Phil, James, and Jorge, break down key developments in the global oil market amid geopolitical tensions and shifting supply-demand fundamentals. The team examines the impact of Middle Eastern tensions on crude prices,  Chinese diesel exports, European gasoline weakness, tr...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Rachel Williams, Chief Commodities Officer at Sparta steps in for Felipe and is joined by Sparta experts Neil Crosby, James Noel-Beswick, and Jorge Molinero. The team provides an in-depth analysis of the crude, gasoline, and distillate markets, addressing key questions as...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Felipe is joined by Neil Crosby, Jorge Molinero, and Phil Jones Lux to discuss the latest trends in the crude oil and refined products markets. The team revisits their earlier predictions for Q4, evaluating how recent geopolitical events, especially concerning Iran, have i...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode of the Sparta Market Outlook podcast, Felipe, Neil, Jorge, and Phil explore the potential impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Iran, on global oil markets. The team discusses a range of scenarios, from potential supply disruptions to the implications of de-escalatio...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com This week, Felipe and Neil welcome Michael Ryan, Sparta’s Commodity Owner for Freight, to discuss the launch of Sparta’s brand new freight tool. Michael shares insights into the tool's unique approach to analysing demand and forecasting prices for shipping routes, focusing on Atlantic Basin routes and the shifting dynamics be...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com With Felipe away this week, hosting duties are placed in the capable hands of Rachel Williams, Chief Commodities Officer at Sparta. In this episode, Rachel and Sparta's expert team, including Neil Crosby (AVP Oil Analytics), James Noel-Beswick (Commodity Owner - Distillate), and Phil Jones-Lux (Senior Analyst), analyse recent...

For more information about Sparta, visit us at www.spartacommodities.com In this episode, the team recaps the major discussions from APPEC, and analyses current trends in crude oil, gasoline, and naphtha markets, highlighting bearish market sentiment due to refinery run cuts, rising inventories, and weak demand. They explore the potential for further drops in crude prices, driven by Cushing stocks...