Vortexa Liquid Currents: Market and data insights across LPG, global oil, and freight movements

Season 2 of Liquid Currents opens with a deep dive into the energy market forces shaping early 2026, as sanctions, shifting trade flows, and freight dynamics collide across crude, LPG, and products markets.Host Samantha Hartke looks at mounting pressure on US propane exports and what it means for inventories and pricing against a backdrop of still-lower Middle East CP pricing, and then is joined by Rohit Rathod, Claire Jungman, Mick Strautmann, and Delia He to unpack rapidly evolving Venezuela crude and naphtha flows, before widening the discussion to impact of sanctioned flows and the dark fleet on freight market dynamics, oil on water and product flow disruptions.Whether you are tracking sanctions exposure, freight risk, or feedstock competition, this episode sets the tone for the season ahead.

Samantha Hartke is joined by Pamela Munger, Head of EMEA Analysis at Vortexa, to unpack how intensifying LPG price wars and sanctions-driven volatility are reshaping feedstock and refined product markets. From swelling volumes of oil on water to tightening refining capacity, they explore whether 2025’s market outperformers can hold their ground into 2026 — and where risks of diesel price fireworks or an off-season gasoline spike may emerge.

Samantha Hartke is joined by Mark Woods, President of Ethylene Strategies International Inc., to unpack how petrochemicals will shape LPG’s winter demand story. From oversupplied markets to potential plant closures across Asia and Northwest Europe, they explore where naphtha and LPG could find new opportunities — and how the Americas can position themselves to capitalise.

As winter approaches, global energy markets are in flux. In this episode of Liquid Currents, we unpack how shifting trade flows, swelling oil-on-water volumes, and rising port fees are shaping the outlook for LPG, crude, refined products, and freight.With the U.S. and Middle East vying for market share in Asia, price mechanisms are being rewritten as cargoes find new homes and trade routes adapt to regional demand patterns. Meanwhile, a surge in floating storage has raised alarms over potential oversupply — all while the market looks to China to absorb excess barrels.We’ll also examine how refinery restarts are keeping product markets buoyant, and what these developments mean for freight rates as the industry braces for a volatile Q4.

The 2025 Innovation Series brought Vortexa insights to London, Singapore, Houston, and New York. In this special retrospective episode of Liquid Currents, CEO Fabio Kuhn joins Samantha Hartke to highlight what we learned — and what’s next for global energy markets.

Recent US LPG export capacity expansions and continued production growth are tightening freight availability, even as demand signals in Asia remain mixed. At the same time, the Trump administration’s continued use of tariffs and sanctions as diplomatic tools is adding uncertainty across energy markets — with the most acute impact in freight, where a growing list of sanctioned vessels is complicating operations and reshaping trade flows.In this timely new episode, Vortexa’s expert host Samantha Hartke, Head of Market Analysis – Americas, is joined by Delia He, Graduate Freight Analyst, and Claire Jungman, Director of Maritime Risk and Intelligence. Together they discuss:Freight market tightening: How expanded LPG export capacity is reshaping vessel availabilityAsia’s mixed demand outlook and its impact on trade flowsTariff unpredictability and its market-wide ripple effectsThe sanctions squeeze and how it’s changing freight operationsWant to see real-time market moves as they happen? Request a personalised demo of the Vortexa platform: https://bit.ly/434EReP

Trump’s latest round of tariffs have caused confusion in energy markets, even as LPG and naphtha markets look well-supplied. The US-China ethane saga may be over – for now – but the tariff pause between the two countries ends in mid-August, as the market braces itself for what comes next. Diesel and gasoline markets are screaming higher as global flows skyrocket over seasonal norms, prompting the age-old question of a summer demand boost.In this timely new episode, Vortexa’s expert host Samantha Hartke, Head of Americas Analysis, is joined by Rohit Rathod, Senior Oil Market Analyst and Glenn Schwartz, Director of Energy Policy Service at Rapidan Energy. Together they discuss:Trump’s tariff strategy: Why unpredictability is keeping markets on edgeDiesel strength vs gasoline weakness: How fundamentals and flows divergeStockpiling signals: What Chinese buying tells us about crude resilienceOPEC+ dynamics and the outlook for Q4 market balanceWant to see real-time market moves as they happen? Request a personalised demo of the Vortexa platform: https://bit.ly/434EReP

As tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, all eyes turn to the vital chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz - a crucial artery for global energy trade. In this timely episode, we provide the latest update on the regional flows and unpack LPG, Americas crude flows, freight constraints, and the gap between sentiment and fundamentals. Together with a special guest of this episode, Rohit Rathod - Senior Oil Market Analyst, Vortexa's expert host, Samantha Hartke, Head of Americas Analysis, provides the latest updates on:Strait of Hormuz: Risk signals vs real fundamentals for LPG, naphtha, crude, and middle distillatesUS export strength: Supply abundance and new Gulf projectsTMX shift: Canada to Asia vs USGC as Venezuelan supply dropsWant to see real-time market moves as they happen? Request a personalised demo of the Vortexa platform: https://bit.ly/434EReP

In our premiere episode, our host Samantha Hartke, Head of Americas Analysis, dives into the shifting dynamics of the LPG and light ends markets against the backdrop of the US-China trade war. We explore how tariffs have restructured trade flows, the ripple effect of LPG cargo reshuffling and what the outlook is for Asia pro-naps swaps. Download the report for more detail: https://bit.ly/3YQK6waFurther, together with a special guest Rohit Rathod, Senior Oil Market Analyst, we discuss the broader Americas oil market and the refining front with key developments in PADDs 1 and 3, and issues in PADD 5. Finally, we conclude with an outlook on LatAm flows.Want to see real-time market moves as they happen? Request a personalised demo: https://bit.ly/434EReP