Saudi Arabia raised oil prices for customers in all regions, Trend reports citing Bloomberg.
State producer Saudi Aramco increased its Arab Light crude for next month’s shipments to Asia to $9.35 a barrel above the benchmark it uses. That’s a jump of $4.40 a barrel from April, when the key grade was already at a record. The energy company had been expected to raise pricing by $5, according to a survey of traders and refiners.
Still, the Saudi hike — likely to set the tone for other Middle Eastern grades — comes despite a spate of virus lockdowns in China, the top oil importer.
Aramco made its decision after OPEC+ on Thursday opted to continue raising output only gradually. The 23-nation group, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, has resisted calls from major importers including the U.S. to accelerate its production increases and bring down global fuel prices.
More than 60% of Saudi Arabia’s oil shipments go to Asia, with China, Japan, South Korea and India being the biggest buyers.
Source: TREND News Agency