How Europe’s main diesel exchange can help Russia keep exporting

Europe’s main commodities futures exchange is offering an anonymized conduit for Russian diesel to be supplied into the continent’s oil trading hub.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in late February, a swath of companies said they were scaling back purchases from Moscow. In practice though, the nation’s oil and fuel is still flowing to export markets in large volumes.

Europe’s main exchange for diesel, run by ICE Futures Europe Ltd, ultimately allows traders to take physical delivery of the fuel once a contract expires. In keeping with the bloc’s current laws, the exchange allows supplies from anywhere, including Russia, to be delivered.

Last week, companies including Trafigura Group, Vitol Group and Glencore Plc agreed to take physical delivery of the fuel in the latter half of April through the expiry process, according to people familiar with the matter.

It’s not known where these supplies are to come from, but there is ultimately nothing to stop those selling from choosing to supply Russian material.

“We are focused on fulfilling the requirements of our European customers in compliance with all applicable sanctions,” Trafigura said, in response to questions about whether it took delivery of Russian diesel. “The ICE is a regulated exchange which fulfills a vital role in ensuring security of supply and seller performance in very tight commodity markets.”

Glencore and Vitol spokespeople declined to comment. Both companies have previously said they would stop entering into new contracts for Russian oil and oil products. ICE also declined to comment.

When traders hold diesel contracts to expiry on ICE, they’re expected to make—or take—physical delivery of the fuel into northwest Europe’s oil trading hub of Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp. ICE publishes aggregated delivery figures for each month on its website. 

This month, traders were set to take physical delivery of just under 110,000 tons—about 820,000 barrels—of diesel via ICE. The exchange doesn’t disclose the names of the buyers or sellers, or say where the diesel comes from.

The total set for delivery represents about 15% of OECD Europe’s daily diesel demand—a small fraction of the diesel trading that takes place on the exchange: open interest in European Low Sulphur Gasoil Futures—effectively diesel—is currently about 390 million barrels. Many hedge funds, oil majors and commodity traders regularly deal in these contracts.

Europe is structurally short of diesel and prices have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. Independent stockpiles in the trading hub of Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp—where the diesel is to be delivered—are at their lowest on a seasonal basis since 2008.

ICE Futures Europe recently reminded traders that oil product of any origin is deliverable under its gasoil contract, meaning that it can come from Russia. It’s possible that not all of the diesel scheduled will actually be delivered, under ICE’s rules.