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Disruptionother · August 5, 2026

Middle East War Triggers New Global Refining Boom

Conflict in the Middle East is prompting new refining capacity and investment globally, shifting future supply of refined products.

Source →

The trace

How it reaches your house.

Starting from Crude Oil Feedstock, we walked the supply graph hop by hop to the goods you buy and the companies you own. Each step is the engine’s reasoning, scored for confidence and cited where a source backs it.

  1. First impact

    Crude Oil Feedstocksupply up

    Gasoline and diesel

    Crude oil feedstock is the critical input for gasoline and diesel, and the refining boom implies more output of these refined products.

    92% confidence
    Crude Oil Feedstocksupply up

    Home heating oil

    Crude oil feedstock is the critical input for home heating oil, so added refining capacity should raise its future supply.

    90% confidence
    Natural Gas (SMR feedstock for hydrogen)supply up

    Gasoline and diesel

    The refining boom increases future output of gasoline and diesel, and this input edge is critical to their production.

    84% confidence
    Natural Gas (SMR feedstock for hydrogen)supply up

    Home heating oil

    New refining capacity lifts future heating-oil supply, making this critical natural-gas input more utilized.

    83% confidence
    Valero EnergyStands to benefit

    Grupo AeromexicoAERO

    Aeromexico buys airport fuel from Valero and other local suppliers at market-indexed prices, so a broad increase in refined-product supply should lower its fuel costs and benefit the airline.

    68% confidence
    PBF EnergyPrices rise

    Crude Oil Feedstock

    A global buildout of refining capacity should increase competition for crude feedstock, making PBF's main input costlier; the input is only moderately substitutable and takes months to replace.

    62% confidence
  2. Hop 2

    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Crude Oil Feedstock

    More refining capacity raises crude runs and thus crude feedstock demand.

    88% confidence
    Home heating oilPrices rise

    Crude Oil Feedstock

    More global refining capacity to produce home heating oil raises demand for crude feedstock, a critical 100% input, putting upward pressure on crude prices.

    86% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Hydrotreating Catalysts (CoMo/NiMo)

    More hydrotreating and hydrocracking capacity increases purchases of CoMo/NiMo catalysts.

    82% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselStands to benefit

    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)

    More refinery capacity and runs increase FCC utilization.

    82% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselStands to benefit

    Hydrocracking & Hydrotreating

    More refining throughput raises hydrocracking and hydrotreating activity.

    82% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Catalysts

    Expanded FCC units need more catalysts, lifting demand for FCC catalyst supply.

    82% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselStands to benefit

    Atmospheric & Vacuum Distillation (CDU/VDU)

    Higher global refining throughput increases utilization of crude distillation units.

    80% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Hydrogen (refinery-grade)

    Refinery expansion requires more refinery-grade hydrogen for desulfurization and upgrading.

    80% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Lanthanum Oxide (FCC additive)

    FCC additive use rises with higher FCC throughput and new unit builds.

    80% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselStands to benefit

    Reforming & Alkylation

    New capacity and higher runs increase reforming and alkylation utilization.

    80% confidence
    Grupo AeromexicoPrices ease

    British PetroleumBP

    Aeromexico buys fuel from BP at prices generally tied to market benchmarks, so a global boom in refined-product supply should push those jet-fuel prices lower.

    74% confidence
    Home heating oilPrices rise

    Hydrogen (refinery-grade)

    Higher distillate output and hydrotreating throughput increase refinery-grade hydrogen demand, tightening the hydrogen market.

    74% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Natural Gas (SMR feedstock for hydrogen)

    Hydrogen demand rises because SMR-based hydrogen production consumes more natural gas.

    74% confidence
    Grupo AeromexicoPrices ease

    ValeroVLO

    Aeromexico buys fuel from Valero at prices generally tied to market benchmarks, so a global boom in refined-product supply should push those jet-fuel prices lower.

    74% confidence
    Grupo AeromexicoPrices ease

    ChevronCVX

    Aeromexico buys fuel from Chevron at prices generally tied to market benchmarks, so a global boom in refined-product supply should push those jet-fuel prices lower.

    74% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Pipeline Steel (Large-Diameter Line Pipe)

    New refining investment boosts demand for large-diameter pipe and steel used in refinery and pipeline buildout.

    74% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Cobalt and Molybdenum Metals (catalyst precursors)

    More catalyst production for refinery units increases demand for cobalt and molybdenum precursors.

    72% confidence
    Home heating oilPrices rise

    Hydrotreating Catalysts (CoMo/NiMo)

    A refining boom lifts hydrotreating run rates and catalyst reload needs, which supports catalyst prices.

    69% confidence
    Gasoline and dieselPrices rise

    Amine Desulfurization Chemicals

    Higher desulfurization throughput and new units lift demand for amine treating chemicals.

    68% confidence
  3. Hop 3

    Hydrotreating Catalysts (CoMo/NiMo)supply up

    Gasoline and diesel

    The refining boom explicitly raises future supply of refined products, and gasoline/diesel has a high dependency on hydrotreating catalysts.

    84% confidence
    Lanthanum Oxide (FCC additive)Stands to benefit

    China Northern Rare Earth Group600111.SS

    China Northern Rare Earth supplies 45% of lanthanum oxide and has low substitutability, so a refinery-buildout-driven increase in FCC additive demand should disproportionately benefit it.

    83% confidence
    Hydrotreating Catalysts (CoMo/NiMo)supply up

    Home heating oil

    New refining capacity should increase hydrotreating throughput, and home heating oil is even more dependent on this catalyst input.

    83% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    W.R. Grace & Co.

    New refining capacity raises FCC catalyst demand, and this 38% supplier with a 6-month replacement lead time is a direct beneficiary.

    79% confidence
    Lanthanum Oxide (FCC additive)Stands to benefit

    China Minmetals Rare Earth Co.

    China Minmetals is an 18% lanthanum-oxide supplier with low substitutability, so higher FCC additive demand should lift its sales and pricing power.

    77% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    BASF Catalysts (Refining Division)BAS.DE

    A global refining boom increases FCC catalyst purchases, and this 30% supplier should benefit from higher demand and limited near-term substitution.

    77% confidence
    Lanthanum Oxide (FCC additive)Stands to benefit

    Shenghe Resources Holding Co., Ltd.

    Shenghe Resources holds 12% of supply and faces long replacement lead times, so a global refining boom should translate into incremental benefit from stronger lanthanum-oxide demand.

    73% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    United States

    Because 52% of FCC catalyst supply is tied to the United States, the country benefits from higher catalyst manufacturing activity and investment.

    72% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    Sinopec Catalyst Company (SCC)

    More global refining investment lifts FCC catalyst demand, and this 20% supplier benefits despite the longer 12-month replacement lead time.

    71% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    Albemarle Corporation (Ketjen Catalysts)ALB

    The refining boom should increase FCC catalyst procurement, benefiting this 15% supplier with moderate substitutability and 6-month lead times.

    68% confidence
    Lanthanum Oxide (FCC additive)Stands to benefit

    Lynas Rare Earths Ltd.

    Lynas supplies 7% of the market, so a refinery-capacity expansion should still provide a smaller but real benefit through higher FCC additive demand.

    67% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    China

    China's 20% share of FCC catalyst supply means it should benefit from rising catalyst production linked to the refining boom.

    67% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    Netherlands

    With a 12% FCC catalyst supply share, the Netherlands benefits from additional catalyst production and related investment.

    62% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    Clariant Catalysts

    Even with a small 5% share, the firm should still gain some incremental FCC catalyst demand from the global refining boom.

    60% confidence
    Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) CatalystsStands to benefit

    Germany

    Germany's 8% share of FCC catalyst supply makes it a smaller but still plausible beneficiary of the refining-driven catalyst demand increase.

    60% confidence

Where it lands

What you buy, and what you own.

Goods you buy

Gasoline and diesel · Home heating oil

Companies you may own

AEROBPVLOCVX600111.SSW.R. Grace & Co.China Minmetals Rare Earth Co.BAS.DEShenghe Resources Holding Co., Ltd.Sinopec Catalyst Company (SCC)ALBLynas Rare Earths Ltd.Clariant Catalysts

Tap a company to see what it told the SEC could break it.

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