Trafigura loaded diesel onto supertanker Plata Glory in the Middle East this week in the first VLCC transport of diesel in bulk to the West in nearly a year, Reuters said citing Kpler data.

• The shipment takes advantage of lower freight rates for crude tankers after costs of shipping fuel from Asia to the West jumped. Supply of vessels used to ship clean products has tightened with route diversions via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea area.
• The VLCC loaded mainly gasoil from Adnoc’s Ruwais refinery and ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah port this week, according to Vortexa and two shipping sources.
• The conversion of Suezmaxes and VLCCs has been used to carry gasoil and jet fuel mainly from the Middle East and India's west coast, Vortexa's said.
• The move could alleviate Asia's supply glut and support refiner margins and prices and could cap recent diesel price gains in NW Europe, Reuters sources said.
• The trend for clean products on crude tankers could continue in the next two months but could moderate in August if clean tanker rates show signs of cooling, they added.