Saturday, Aug 08, 2026

The World of Petroleum and Bitumen

The July 2026 Issue of WPB Journal

The July 2026 Issue of WPB Journal

MAGAZINES

Partners

A 100% Tariff Threat Is Now on the Table: Could New U.S. Sanctions Reshape Russian Oil and Bitumen Trade?

According to WPB, the risk of a new and potentially powerful layer of U.S. pressure on Russian energy trade has moved into a much more serious legisl...

LEARN MORE

Iran’s Main Oil Export Hub Has Gone Quiet: What a Week Without Tankers at Kharg Means for Bitumen

According to WPB, Iran’s main crude-export terminal has entered one of its longest periods of inactivity since the current regional conflict began....

LEARN MORE

China Reopens the Fuel Export Tap: Will Higher Refinery Runs Increase or Reduce Asian Bitumen Supply?

According to WPB, China’s decision to temporarily authorize about 2.7 million metric tons of refined-fuel exports in August introduces a new variab...

LEARN MORE

The Red Sea Is No Longer the Safe Alternative: Tanker Attacks near Yanbu and a Collapse in Chokepoint Traffic

According to WPB, the sharp decline in vessel movements through both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb indicates that the Middle East shipping c...

LEARN MORE

The Rhine Is Drying Up: Europe’s Next Bitumen Logistics Crisis Is Inland, Not at Sea

According to WPB, Europe’s next major bitumen transportation problem may develop far from the maritime routes that have dominated market attention....

LEARN MORE

Iran Wants Control of Hormuz’s Inbound Lane. What Would a Managed Reopening Mean for Bitumen Shipping?

According to WPB, Iran’s proposal to control inbound traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while receiving advance information about outbound vessel...

LEARN MORE

Iraq Is Discounting Crude by Nearly $30 to Get It Through Hormuz. What Happens to Bitumen?

According to WPB, Iraq’s decision to offer discounts approaching $30 per barrel on August-loading Basrah crude provides a direct measure of the com...

LEARN MORE

Oil Prices Fall After the U.S. Suspends Iran Strike and Shifts Focus to a Hormuz Agreement

According to WPB, oil prices fell sharply on August 3 after the United States suspended a planned military attack on Iran and shifted its immediate f...

LEARN MORE

Diesel Comes First: Why Record Refining Margins Could Keep Bitumen Supply Tight

According to WPB, the latest operating results from ExxonMobil and Chevron indicate that diesel and other high-margin transport fuels will remain the...

LEARN MORE

The Risk Has Moved to Hormuz’s Doorstep: What Two Tanker Incidents off Oman Mean for Bitumen Shipping

According to WPB, two tanker incidents reported off northern Oman on August 1 have added a new layer of risk to commercial shipping at the entrance t...

LEARN MORE

All Oil and Bitumen Export Routes from Iran and Iraq to Asia, Africa and Europe

According to WPB, Iran and Iraq are reviewing and expanding a wide range of maritime, pipeline, road, rail and multimodal export routes as disruption...

LEARN MORE

Asian Refiners Pay Premiums for Abu Dhabi Crude as Hormuz Supply Tightens

According to WPB, ADNOC’s seventh crude tender since the beginning of June has confirmed that Asian refiners are paying a measurable premium for su...

LEARN MORE

Hormuz Is Back Under Pressure

According to WPB, renewed military escalation on July 29 has returned the Strait of Hormuz to the centre of oil and refined-products risk after sever...

LEARN MORE

Iraq’s Baniyas Corridor Is Open for Fuel Oil. Could Bitumen Be the Next Cargo?

According to WPB, Iraq’s new export corridor through Syria has moved from an emergency response into a functioning Mediterranean trade route. Iraqi...

LEARN MORE

Europe’s Heat Crisis Is About to Rewrite the Asphalt Specification Book

According to WPB, Europe’s repeated heatwaves in 2026 are turning pavement temperature from a seasonal maintenance issue into a procurement and spe...

LEARN MORE

Australia’s First New Refinery in 60 Years Could Redraw the Regional Bitumen Map

According to WPB, Australia’s decision to fund an early-stage study into a new large-scale oil refinery marks a significant change in the country�...

LEARN MORE

India’s Bitumen Supply Model Is Being Rewritten Under Pressure

According to WPB, India’s bitumen market is undergoing a structural adjustment that extends well beyond a temporary fall in imports. Road demand re...

LEARN MORE

Could Ultra-Thin Asphalt Become the Future of Road Maintenance?

According to WPB, a road maintenance project in one of Asia’s busiest metropolitan regions may offer a useful glimpse into the future of urban pave...

LEARN MORE

The Global Bitumen Market Enters a Regional Era

According to WPB, recent developments across the energy and logistics sectors suggest that the international bitumen trade is entering a new phase. T...

LEARN MORE

After Another Refinery Strike, Is Russia Losing Control of Its Fuel Supply Chain?

According to WPB, the latest drone strike targeting Russia’s Tyumen refinery has once again drawn attention to a question that extends far beyond t...

LEARN MORE