European commodity, energy and shipping intelligence
Author
Elise Vermeer covers crude and refined product markets from Rotterdam, with a focus on ARA storage, refining economics and product arbitrage.
The European physical gasoline market experienced significant prompt tightness and steep backwardation in August 2026, driven by a structural deficit of high-octane blending components, historic logistical bottlenecks on the Rhine River, and robust summer demand in Southern Europe.
Alkagesta has been approved to participate in the Platts Market on Close (MOC) assessment process for physical naphtha in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), reflecting the growth of its trading activities in the region.
Orkhan Rustamov, CEO of Alkagesta, recently contributed an opinion piece to European Business Magazine, asserting that the global oil market is undergoing a fundamental structural transformation, making a return to previous stable pricing unrealistic.
