Crude oil exports across the U.S. Gulf Coast topped 4.5 MMb/d for the second time in March, with estimated loadings for the week ended March 17 at 4.6 MMb/d - the second-highest on record. Most of last week's additional barrels (873 Mb/d) were loaded in the Corpus Christi area. The Houston and Corpus Christi regions loaded near-record volumes at 1.2 MMb/d and 2.5 MMb/d, respectively. A record number of tankers, 36, loaded shipments during the week, including eight VLCCs. Nearly one-third of all shipments were scheduled to go to Europe last week.
With these cargoes included, month-to-date shipments from the Gulf Coast were estimated at a record 4.1 MMb/d. Year-to-date loadings were pegged at 3.6 MMb/d, nearly 600 Mb/d higher than the same time last year.
