Saudis slash oil prices to Asia in battle for market share

Saudi Aramco has reduced its benchmark oil price for Asian buyers to a six-year low, as Gulf producers compete for market share amid increased flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The state-owned firm will sell Arab Light crude to Asian customers for US$5 per barrel below the regional benchmark for November, a decrease from a US$2 per barrel discount this month.

This unexpected price cut contrasts with traders' and refiners' expectations of a US$5 increase from October. The world's largest oil exporter's move may be an attempt to increase sales to Asia. While ship attacks persist in and around Hormuz, oil shipments have rebounded over the past few months. Saudi Arabia has restored most of the East-West pipeline flows, with exports from the Middle East reaching 98% of pre-war levels.

With passage through Hormuz still risky, many customers are seeking alternative routes, prompting producers to transport their cargoes through the Gulf of Oman. Asian refiners were informed by Saudi Aramco to submit requests for volumes they wish to purchase next month from Persian Gulf ports, Yanbu on the Red Sea, or the Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir.

The kingdom has restored oil flows through the East-West pipeline to over 80% of capacity, while supply via the Red Sea has risen to wartime levels as Saudi Arabia shifts more production to international markets. Ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts and the risk of attacks on shipping continue to impact the oil market.