Crude Surge Amid Mideast Unrest and Monsoons Redraws Bitumen Trade

Global bitumen markets are being reshaped by a surge in crude oil prices and escalating tensions in the Middle East, as market conditions shift across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Brent crude saw a notable increase this week, rising from $73.23 per barrel at the start of the week to a high of $78.85, before settling at $77.01. This upswing, driven by geopolitical instability, has exerted upward pressure on bitumen prices in several markets.

In West Africa, builders raced to import supplies ahead of the rainy season, keeping demand buoyant, whereas East African markets cooled as monsoon rains cut into purchasing. Southern Africa has struggled under persistent downpours, forcing contractors to postpone road projects and curb bitumen consumption.

Conflict-related shutdowns across the Middle East have snarled shipping routes and rattled confidence in supplies. At present, Bahrain’s export rate of $400/tonne FOB Sitra remains unchanged, but analysts warn that any further hostilities could tighten availability and push prices upward.

Across South Asia, early and heavy monsoon rains brought road construction to a standstill, driving down India’s bitumen prices sharply. In China’s south, similarly soggy conditions left inventories bloated, yet eastern regions nonetheless saw bitumen quotations climb into the $501–550/tonne range—mirroring the recent crude surge. South Korean export values held steady at $435/tonne.

Southeast Asia offered a mixed picture: Vietnam kept buying at a modest clip despite wet weather, and Singaporean traders nudged FOB values up from $407 to $415/tonne. South Korea’s own FOB benchmark stayed firm at $400/tonne.

Overall, the interplay of volatile oil markets and severe weather patterns is creating a patchwork of local effects, even as the global bitumen business braces for further shifts tied to crude-price movements and regional instability.