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Neutral As of Jul 30, 2026 17:00 ET Download PDF

Daily Energy & Shipping Briefing — Jul 30, 2026

Global crude prices saw a slight decline on Thursday, while US natural gas edged higher. Shipping markets, particularly tankers, continued to demonstrate exceptional strength driven by ongoing geopolitical disruptions, leading to record earnings for some operators. Equities closed higher, with the S&P 500 rebounding.

Energy Prices

Crude

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
Brent ICE $/bbl 89.03 -1.70

Products

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
RBOB Gasoline NYMEX c/gal 328.47 -11.31

Natural Gas

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
US Henry Hub NYMEX $/MMBtu 2.74 +0.02

Natural Gas Liquids

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
US Mont Belvieu Propane NYMEX $/mt 375.00 -9.00

Price Spreads

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
RBOB Gasoline/Brent Crack Spread $/bbl 24.50 -0.25

Shipping Rates & Bunkers

Dirty Tanker (Spot TCE, $/day)

Vessel Route Spot TCE Avg YTD
VLCC, 270 AG-FE 105,000 95,000
Suezmax West Africa-UKC 85,000 78,000

Clean Tanker (Spot TCE, $/day)

Vessel Route Spot TCE Avg YTD
LR2, 75 AG-FE 55,000 60,000
MR, 37 UKC-USAC 32,000 35,000

Time Charter & Asset Values

Vessel 1yr ($/day) Newbuild ($M) 5yr ($M)
VLCC, 200+ 52,000 128.0 115.0
LR2, 100+ 38,000 72.8 65.0

LNG Vessels ($/day)

Type Spot Sentiment 52wk Avg
160M3 Tri-fuel diesel electric (East) 75,000 Neutral 90,000

Bunkers ($/mt)

Port VLSFO HSFO MGO
Singapore 530.0 440.0 600.0

LPG (Spot TCE, $/day)

VLGC, 44 (AG-Japan) 150,000

Carbon Markets

Instrument Unit Bid Offer
European Union Allowances (Spot) EUR/ton 80.90 80.95

Equities & Currencies

Index Region Last Δ Day
S&P 500 United States 7,437.63 +121.46
Pair Region Last Δ Day
EUR/$ European Union 1.15 +0.01

Developments

  • Brent Crude Falls to $89.03 Amid Market Volatility

    Front-month ICE Brent crude futures settled at $89.03 per barrel on July 30, down 1.88% from the previous day, marking a decline in four of the past five sessions.

    Morningstar (Dow Jones Newswires) · Jul 30, 2026

  • S&P 500 Rises 1.66% to 7437.63, Rebounding from Previous Day's Drop

    The S&P 500 Index gained 1.66% to close at 7437.63 on July 30, marking a rebound after falling 1.45% the previous day due to Fed outlook and inflation signals.

    Morningstar / 24/7 Wall St. · Jul 30, 2026

  • Teekay Tankers Reports Record Q2 2026 Earnings Driven by Soaring Spot Rates

    Teekay Tankers announced its highest-ever quarterly adjusted net income in Q2 2026, with VLCC rates averaging $123,200 per day and Aframax/LR2 tankers at $74,100 per day, fueled by geopolitical disruptions.

    Investing.com Canada / The Royal Gazette / Seeking Alpha · Jul 30, 2026

  • EU Carbon Permits Decline Slightly to €81.52 Amid ETS Reform Discussions

    EU Carbon Permits fell to €81.52 on July 30, down 0.61% from the previous day, as the market continues to assess the impact of proposed EU Emissions Trading System reforms.

    Trading Economics · Jul 30, 2026

  • US Henry Hub Natural Gas Prices Edge Higher Despite Ample Supply

    Natural gas prices at Henry Hub rose to $2.74/MMBtu on July 30, up 0.84% from the previous day, despite ample supply and a smaller-than-expected storage build.

    Trading Economics · Jul 30, 2026

  • Scorpio Tankers Expands Fleet with VLCC Newbuild Venture and LR2 Orders

    Scorpio Tankers has acquired a minority stake in an eight-ship VLCC newbuilding joint venture and ordered two more LR2 product tankers, expanding its fleet renewal program.

    Splash247 / Scorpio Tankers Inc. · Jul 30, 2026