Vacuum Gas Oil Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Product (Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO), Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO)), By Sulfur Content (Low Sulfur Vacuum Gas Oil, High Sulfur Vacuum Gas Oil), By Application (Gasoline Production, Diesel Oil Production) and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The growing need for fossil fuels across different sectors along with increasing efforts to produce a bulk output of oil & gas is projected to positively affect the industry outlook. Vacuum gas oil (VGO) is predominantly used as an intermediate feedstock to escalate gasoline & diesel production from refineries. VGO is produced through a vacuum distillation column using different processes like hydrogenation and cracking. Vacuum gas oil is also referred to as cat feed because it is utilized as a feedstock to create gasoil, gasoline, and other by-products.

On the basis of the product, the vacuum gas oil market can be segmented into Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO) and Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO). LVGO is processed using a Fluid Cat Cracker (FCC) and involves converting of atmospheric gas oils or other heavy residual stocks to light fuel oils and high octane gasoline. Whereas for HVGO, a hydrocracker facility is used to process which consumes hydrogen to remove impurities and excess sulfur from the output.

Based on sulfur content, global vacuum gas oil market can be primarily bifurcated into Low Sulfur Vacuum Gas Oil and High Sulfur Vacuum Gas Oil. Sulfur content plays a vital role in deciding the final output type and is considered as a key property while VGO trading. Low sulfur VGO is categorized when the sulfur volume is very less, generally 0.5% or lower while high sulfur VGO, has a sulfur content of about 2%.

On the basis of the application, the vacuum gas oil market can be divided into gasoline production and diesel oil production. VGOs are predominantly used in producing diesel and gasoline based on their composition, type, sulfur content, and processing method to deliver a range of gasoline/diesel outputs of desired specifications.

Increasing demand for fossil fuels across the globe, along with rising investments in research & development is projected to positively influence the industry landscape. Growing marine industry is set to surge VGO requirement as bunker fuels for deep-sea cargo ships and other vessels.

The key market restraint for the vacuum gas oil market is strict mandates by global organizations on VGO composition and emission content. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented stern directives for the sulfur present in the feedstock for VGOs to be used as marine fuels.

Key Players Covered

Some of the major companies that are present in the vacuum gas oil market are LUKOIL, TAIF-NK, KazMunayGas, Axeon Specialty Products, Neste, Vertex Refining, Honeywell UOP, Gazprom Neft, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Zhejiang Petrochemical Corporation, and U.S. Oil & Refining Co.

Segmentation

Regional Analysis

The global vacuum gas oil market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Substantial investment in R&D activities coupled with flourishing gasoline & diesel demand for automotive is projected to cater to the North America regional outlook. In the Asia Pacific region, rising need for bunkering fuel in the developing economies like China and India is anticipated to propel vacuum gas oil market. Large unconventional reserves discoveries like shale along with vast E&P activities in bulk reserves is expected to significantly affect vacuum gas oil market in the Middle East and African region.

Key Industry Developments

• In July 2019, Gazprom Neft deployed a new automated fuel loading terminal for efficient light oil products transport. The expansion aims at increasing the company’s reach to nearby areas and thereby develop a station with enhanced capacity of about 6,500 tons per day.


• In May 2018, Zhejiang Petrochemical announced to complete the construction of two new diesel hydrocracking facilities in China. The units have a combined capacity of 3.5 million tons/year and targets to improve its annual production capacity to cater to petroleum products demand.


• In May 2016, Lukoil commissioned a novel hydrocracking facility for vacuum gas oil named as Oil Deep Conversion Complex in Russia. The division is set to operate as the country’s biggest VGO deep conversion unit with a capacity of about 3.5 million tons/year.