Diesel pricing in Europe
Where next in Europe’s diesel crisis?
The fate of the continent’s supply crunch may lie elsewhere—in China, the Middle East and Russia
Europe’s diesel deficit has provided the only credible challenger to gas as the centrepiece of the continent’s energy crisis this year. Northwest Europe diesel cracks averaged $9/bl in 2021 and have averaged $40/bl so far this year—an increase of 420pc. But what has been driving the rally? And what is the outlook for European diesel pricing into 2023? Global capacity In a letter to his country’s oil executives this summer, US president Joe Biden warned the tightness in the world’s refining capacity was a “global challenge and global concern”. Biden’s words reflected the fact that c.3.5mn bl/d of distillation capacity had been shut down since the pandemic, resulting in a net decline after new
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
