Online Encore Session
The global refined fuels market is one of the most complex and dynamic sectors in energy, shaped by the interplay of crude oil supply and quality, refinery configurations, product flows and government policies. From crude production trends and refinery yields to the influence of biofuels and renewable mandates, each factor shapes how refined products move, price and compete across markets.
For energy professionals, the challenge is connecting these factors within a framework explaining current market dynamics and showing how shifts in one area ripple through supply, demand and margins.
RBN’s Refined Fuels Master Class was a one-day online program held on October 2, 2025, connecting fundamentals to refining economics. The curriculum began with refinery operations and crude quality, moved into global flows and product balances, explored the inner workings of biofuels markets, and examined how biofuels intersected with petroleum products. The sessions culminated in crack spread and yield models, demonstrating how fundamentals translated into refining margins and market outcomes.
Led by RBN’s experts, the Refined Fuels Master Class linked fundamentals to real-world economics. Participants gained a clearer view of how refinery operations, product balances, and policy mandates shaped margins, along with analytical tools to interpret how shifts influenced supply, demand, and pricing.
What to Expect
The Refined Fuels Master Class features a series of expert-led sessions designed to strengthen your expertise in refining economics, crude and product balances, regional trends, biofuels markets, and the policies shaping today’s markets. Each module is built from core fundamentals to applied models, equipping you with the tools to connect market drivers to refining margins and outcomes.
Fundamentals of Refining
Learn how crude quality and refinery configurations impact product yields, optionality and regional differences. These fundamentals set the stage for understanding how operations drive economics.
Global Flows and Product Balances
Explore crude oil production trends, trade flows and refined product balances across regions. Gain insight into how supply and demand shifts influence pricing and create new dynamics in global markets.
Biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
Review biofuels fundamentals and production processes, along with RFS and other biofuels incentives in North America and Europe. See how renewable requirements interact with petroleum markets and influence refinery decision-making.
Refinery Margins and Economics
Bring the pieces together by analyzing refining margins through crack spread and yield models. Understand how fundamentals translate into refining economics and commercial outcomes. These models will include sample yields for a variety of refinery configuration processing different grades of crude oil in a variety of regions through the U.S. and world.
Excel Modeling Sessions
Put concepts into practice through step-by-step modeling sessions designed to reinforce key concepts and sharpen your analytical skills.
Hosted by Robert Auers
Manager of Refined Fuels, Refined Fuels Analytics
Robert Auers is RBN – RFA’s primary refinery modeler and refined fuels market analyst. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Robert is an active CFA Charter holder. Robert has 12 years of total industry experience split between Western Refining’s El Paso Refinery (now owned by Marathon) and Turner, Mason & Co. He is experienced in petroleum refining and renewable diesel economics, process engineering, process design, and HazOp review.
Refined Fuels Master Class – Premier Mentorship Packages
RBN is now offering the opportunity to supplement the Refined Fuels Master Class experience for your company with Premier Mentorship Packages.
Packages can be structured to include a range of class options for your company, with direct guidance from Robert Auers, Manager of Refined Fuels, who has more than 10 years of refining and fuels market expertise.
Choose from the following options:
- Company Presentation: An all-day, in-person class customized to the needs of your firm. This class can include selected sessions from the School of Energy in addition to the Master Class content.
- Master Class Encore: An all-day, online class offering a complete replay of the original Master Class experience but with enhanced interactivity and Q&A sessions dedicated exclusively to the concerns of your firm’s employees.
- Custom Scenario: Provides targeted training from Auers using the tools from Master Class to analyze a particular region and/or scenario. He will then instruct you and your analysts in how the analysis was conducted and how it can be replicated.
- Model Review: An opportunity for Auers to review a project undertaken by analysts at your firm according to the principles from Master Class. This can be a regional balance model or a scenario analysis.
- Hourly Instruction: One or more hours of Q&A with Auers where your firm’s employees may receive answers to any questions they have after viewing Master Class Encore.
License fees may be paid online by credit card. If outside North America, call 281-377-6017 or use the contact form below. All fees are subject to applicable sales tax. No refunds are available. There is no term limit for licenses of the PDF and Excel documents. All materials are for the use of the individual licensee only.
For Individual Use Only. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
