Gunvor Snapped Up North Sea Oil During Futures-Market Tumble

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Gunvor Snapped Up North Sea Oil During Futures-Market Tumble

Gunvor Group, one of the world’s biggest independent oil traders, piled into the North Sea crude market during a wider rout in futures markets. The North Sea crude market, home to the world’s most important physical oil-price benchmark Dated Brent, often sees individual traders taking relatively large positions, meaning Gunvor’s actions aren’t definitive proof of […]

Gunvor Group, one of the world’s biggest independent oil traders, piled into the North Sea crude market during a wider rout in futures markets.

The North Sea crude market, home to the world’s most important physical oil-price benchmark Dated Brent, often sees individual traders taking relatively large positions, meaning Gunvor’s actions aren’t definitive proof of bullishness.

Still, the Geneva-based firm — which took some hits on oil trading last year, including in the North Sea — snapped up three cargoes of benchmark-setting crude in a pricing window run by S&P Global Commodity Insights on Monday. It was also a significant buyer of Contracts for Difference that further help to define Dated Brent.

While it’s not uncommon for individual firms to make bold North Sea trades, the timing of Gunvor’s move is eye-catching. Brent futures collapsed 14% in the three sessions through Monday as the market evaluated the demand impact of sweeping US tariffs on all the nation’s main trading partners.

A Gunvor spokesperson declined to comment.

Buying activity from other participants in the North Sea market has been limited, as has trading of both Mediterranean and West African barrels. Several physical oil traders said they were waiting to see what the impact of the tariffs and countermeasures will be, while some others were looking to sell.

Dated Brent helps to set prices for more than two-thirds of the world’s traded crude oil, as well as influencing a web of associated derivatives.

In an interview with Bloomberg last month, the trader’s co-founder and CEO Torbjörn Törnqvist acknowledged that the firm had lost money on some oil trades. Gunvor, which he said was renewing its leadership after the losses, posted a 42% slump in net profits in 2024 as energy market chaos eased.

An overhaul in its top leadership team has seen the departures of several senior traders in recent months.

Despite the tumble in oil futures, differentials of key North Sea grades have been largely held up, with some even creeping higher.

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