Blog
-
Jet A1 Procurement: Verifying Sellers and Documents Before You Pay
A buyer's guide to Jet A1 purchasing: refinery vs trader, SGS and Saybolt inspection, safer payment instruments and the red flags that signal a bad offer.
-
SBLC in Oil Deals: What It Is and Why "SBLC Leasing" Offers Are a Red Flag
An SBLC is a bank guarantee that pays only on default. Learn how it works in physical oil trades and why SBLC leasing offers are a classic advance-fee scam.
-
132,000 Litres in Dugout Pits — and Paperwork That Looked Genuine
What the Bonny seizure and a long-standing ICC warning tell buyers about stolen product, spurious ownership documents, and why independent verification comes before any payment.
-
Sanctions Screening for Oil Buyers: Vessels, Cargo Origin and Paperwork
A practical sanctions-screening checklist for crude and refined product buyers: vessel history, origin documents, price cap attestations and counterparty ownership.
-
Oil Broker Fees Explained: How Commissions Work and What to Ask Before You Agree
How physical oil brokers are paid, why there is no standard commission, and the questions buyers and sellers should settle in writing before a deal starts.
-
Letters of Credit for Crude Oil: What a Buyer's Bank Will and Won't Issue
LC, SBLC and escrow are not interchangeable in crude oil deals. Learn what a buyer's bank will actually issue, and how scam offers misuse each instrument.
-
When a Big Name Does the Talking, Check the Paperwork
This week, two things arrived at the same time. A world-famous refinery's share offer of 4.1 billion shares at ₦525 was closing — Tuesday, October 27,
-
Diesel EN590 Procurement: How to Buy Without Being Defrauded
A buyer's guide to EN590 diesel sourcing: verifying sellers, refinery vs trader, independent inspection (SGS, Saybolt) and safer payment instruments.
-
Proof of Product (POP) in Oil Trading: What Is Real and What Is a Scam
Proof of product documents are the most forged papers in oil trading. Learn which POP documents are legitimate, which are fabricated, and how to verify them.
-
Crude Oil SPA Red Flags: How to Read a Buyer's LOI
Before you sign a crude oil SPA, read the buyer's LOI. Learn the red flags in volume, pricing, payment terms, and inspection clauses that signal a weak or fraudulent buyer.
-
FOB vs CIF in Crude Oil Deals: What Buyers Should Demand
FOB or CIF? How each Incoterm shifts risk, cost and documentation in crude and refined product deals, and what buyers should require before signing.
-
The Mandate Defense Script: A Fraud Tactic Disguised as Protocol
When a counterparty refuses basic due diligence and calls it 'mandate protocol,' that's not professionalism — it's a script. Here's how it works and what to do when you hear it.
-
5 Red Flags in Petroleum Deal Documents That Indicate Fraud
Most petroleum fraud doesn't look like obvious scams. Here are the 5 most common document red flags that experienced traders and brokers miss — and how to catch them.
-
How to Verify a Crude Oil Seller: A Buyer's Step-by-Step Guide
Before you commit to any crude oil transaction, you need to verify the seller independently. Here is the exact verification process we recommend — and use — at BarrelBridge.
-
What Is an SCO in Oil Trading — and Why Does It Attract So Much Fraud?
SCO (Soft Corporate Offer) is one of the most common entry points for fraud in petroleum trading. Here's what it actually means, how legitimate SCOs work, and how to tell the difference.
-
Crude Oil Procurement Strategy: Why Mid-Size Buyers Overpay
Mid-size refiners and distributors overpay for crude through weak differentials, single sourcing and skipped due diligence. See where margin leaks and how to fix it.
-
How to Vet a Crude Oil Broker: 6-Point Checklist Before You Sign
Vet a crude oil broker before you sign: 6 checks on deal history, counterparties, due diligence, fees, market intelligence and compliance, plus red flags to avoid.
-
Crude Oil Prices 2026: Tariffs, Brent Selloff and What Buyers Should Do
Brent has fallen $30+/bbl since April 2026 while tariffs reshape supplier risk. What crude buyers should do on contract structure, spot vs. term and counterparties.
-
Natural Gas Contract Structure 2026: Fixed, Index or Hybrid?
Compare flat-price, index-linked and hybrid natural gas contracts for 2026, plus basis risk and three questions to ask your supplier before restructuring.
-
Oil Price Drop 2026: How Crude and Gas Buyers Can Use It
Brent fell from about $103 in April 2026 with the EIA forecasting $70 by Q4. How crude and natural gas buyers should set contract terms, tenor and counterparty checks.