Italy's Falconara refinery widens crude slate

Italian refiner API is widening the crude slate at its 83,000 b/d Falconara refinery, joining other Mediterranean operators in seeking new grades because of political disruption and ownership changes.

Falconara was a keen importer of Iraqi Kirkuk crude between 2019-23, before a dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey halted exports. In 2022 Falconara received 33 crude cargoes, all but five of which were Kirkuk grade. Since the second half of July this year Falconara received six cargoes, all of different grades.

August receipts were 75,000 b/d, up from 50,000 b/d a month earlier, according to Argus tracking. Deliveries were 35,000 b/d of Saudi Arab Light and 40,000 b/d of Libyan crude, split between Es Sider and Sarir. The latter was the first at Falconara in eight years.

In September Falconara has taken 1mn bl of Kazakh Kebco and, according to Kpler data, a first cargo of 125,000bl cargo of Italian onshore Val'd Agri. At 38.4°API and 2.1pc sulphur Val'd Agri is close to Kirkuk's 36°API and 2pc sulphur, although output is far lower.

Argus assessed Falconara's receipts at 55,000 b/d in January-August. The slate was a weighted average gravity of 30.6°API and 2pc sulphur content, compared with 31.8°API and 2pc sulphur overall last year and 35.6°API and 1.8pc in 2022, when Kirkuk dominated.

Other regional refiners have changed their sourcing. Italy's Saras is importing a first cargo of Azeri Light since February 2022, with light sweet Libyan alternatives halted by conflict. It may take different grades as trading firm Vitol becomes its new owner, after Trafigura had supplied large amounts of US WTI.

Greece's Motor Oil Hellas (MOH) had to find an alternative to a 1mn bl cargo of Basrah Medium that was attacked in the Red Sea on the way to its 180,000 b/d Corinth facility. MOH opted for a first cargo of Guyanese Unity Gold. Helleniq Energy has changed its slate in the absence of Kirkuk and sanctioned Russian Urals, and it took first cargoes of Guyanese crude, and Ivory Coast crude and struck a deal with Iraq for Basrah grades..

Spain's Repsol is boosting cargoes of heavy Venezuelan crude under a sanctions waver and API's Trecate refinery has increased receipts of Nigerian Qua Iboe since it bought out ExxonMobil.

Argus estimates Italian seaborne crude imports — excluding the northeast terminal of Trieste — at 1.13mn b/d in August, a four-month high and up from 1.06mn b/d in July. For a seventh consecutive month, Azeri BTC Blend and Libyan grades were Italy's largest imports, at 205,000 b/d and 195,000 b/d respectively. Nigeria and Caspian CPC Blend each supplied 125,000 b/d and Arab Light 115,000 b/d.

By Adam Porter

Italy crude imports mn bl