01
Define the cargo
The buyer states the grade or acceptable quality range, quantity and tolerance, delivery basis, discharge port, laycan window, pricing preference and the payment instrument its bank can issue.
Crude oil trading, from the loading terminal to the refinery.
Zoony trades crude oil from producing countries to refiners and qualified buyers, working from Istanbul at the crossroads of the Caspian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean supply routes. Every cargo rests on a defined grade, independent inspection and a document trail that stands up to scrutiny.
Energy commodities
At a glance
- Product
- Crude oil: light, medium and heavy; sweet and sour grades
- Origins
- Producing countries and their export terminals, screened for sanctions
- Delivery
- FOB loading terminal or CFR / CIF discharge port
- Cargo size
- Part cargoes to full tanker loads, as contracted
- Pricing
- Linked to a benchmark such as Brent or Dubai, plus a differential
- Inspection
- Independent quantity and quality inspection at the load port
Overview
Crude oil trading with Zoony
Crude oil is the raw feedstock of the world's refineries, and no two grades behave the same. Density, sulphur content and impurities decide which refinery can run a crude, what products it yields and what it is worth against the global benchmarks. Buying crude well means matching the right grade to the right refinery and proving, with independent evidence, that the cargo delivered is the cargo agreed.
Zoony trades crude oil between producing countries and refiners or other qualified buyers. The oil does not have to pass through Türkiye. A cargo is normally lifted at the producer's export terminal and sails directly to the buyer's discharge port, while Zoony structures the transaction and coordinates inspection, shipping and documents from Istanbul.
Istanbul sits at the crossroads of major supply routes. Caspian and Central Asian crude reaches world markets through the Turkish Straits and the pipeline terminal at Ceyhan on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, and Middle Eastern supply moves through the Gulf and the Red Sea. Working from here keeps Zoony close to producers, traders and the shipping market.
Crude oil also attracts fraudulent offers: cargoes with no verifiable seller, advance-fee requests and pressure to pay for documents. Zoony does not work that way. The seller's identity, authority to sell and the origin of the oil are verified before commercial documents change hands, and money moves only under the signed contract through approved banks.
Origins
Where our crude oil comes from
Zoony trades crude oil from producing countries and their export terminals, including terminals on Türkiye's own coast. The origin of each cargo is named in the contract and screened against applicable sanctions before a deal proceeds.
Caspian & Central Asia
Light, sweet grades exported through Black Sea terminals and the Ceyhan pipeline terminal in southern Türkiye.
Middle East & Gulf
Medium and sour grades from the world's largest exporting region, loaded at Gulf and Red Sea terminals.
Africa & the Mediterranean
Light, sweet grades from West and North African producers, well placed for Mediterranean refiners.
Other origins on request
Other producing countries are considered case by case, subject to verifiable seller evidence and sanctions screening.
Grades & products
Grades and quality
Crude oil is classified by its density (API gravity) and its sulphur content. The buyer's brief states the grade, or the quality range, the refinery can accept.
Light crude
API gravity above about 31°. Yields more gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, and usually prices at a premium.
Medium crude
API gravity between about 22° and 31°. A versatile feedstock for most complex refineries.
Heavy crude
API gravity below about 22°. Needs conversion capacity to process and usually prices at a discount.
Sweet and sour
Sweet crude carries less than about 0.5% sulphur. Sour crude carries more and must be desulphurised at the refinery.
Crude oil
Specification brief
What a buyer's brief should state. Final specification, origin, quantity and price are fixed in the signed contract.
- Grade or assay
- A named grade, or a full assay of the quality the refinery accepts
- API gravity & density
- Stated range, at 15 °C / 60 °F
- Sulphur
- Maximum percentage by weight
- Other parameters
- Pour point, viscosity, TAN, water and sediment (BS&W), salt, vapour pressure and metals
- Quantity
- Cargo size with an operational tolerance, for example ±5%
- Delivery
- FOB loading terminal or CFR / CIF discharge port, with a laycan window
- Pricing
- Benchmark, differential and pricing period
- Payment
- Documentary letter of credit or another instrument agreed with approved banks
How a transaction runs
02
Verify the seller and the oil
The seller's identity, authority to sell, the origin of the crude and its assay are verified through a controlled channel before commercial documents are exchanged. Every party and origin is screened against applicable sanctions.
03
Contract, inspect, deliver
Terms are fixed in a sale and purchase agreement. An independent inspector certifies quality and quantity at loading, the vessel sails to the discharge port and the document set follows the contract.
Shipping & delivery
Shipping and delivery
Crude oil moves by sea in tankers chartered for the voyage. The contract decides who charters the vessel, where risk passes and how the quantity is measured.
Tanker sizes
From part cargoes to full Aframax, Suezmax and VLCC loads, matched to terminal draft and route restrictions.
Nomination and loading
The vessel is nominated and accepted within the laycan. Notice of readiness, loading and laytime follow the contract terms.
Quantity and quality
An independent inspector measures the cargo at the load port and tests samples against the agreed specification.
Discharge
The buyer's terminal receives the cargo at destination, with a second inspection where the contract calls for one.
Documents in a typical transaction
Final specification, origin, quantity and terms are confirmed in the transaction documents.
- Sale and purchase agreement (SPA)
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin
- Certificate of quality
- Certificate of quantity
- Ullage and inspection reports
- Notice of readiness and time sheet
Frequently asked questions
Do you only trade crude oil from Türkiye?
No. Zoony trades crude oil from several producing countries. Cargoes usually load at the origin terminal and sail directly to the buyer, while Zoony structures and coordinates the transaction from Istanbul.
What do you need to work on a cargo?
The grade or acceptable quality range, quantity, delivery basis (FOB or CFR / CIF), destination port, laycan window, pricing preference and the payment instrument your bank can issue, together with the buyer's company details for due diligence.
How is crude oil priced?
Usually against a published benchmark such as Brent or Dubai, plus or minus a differential that reflects the grade's quality, freight and market conditions, averaged over an agreed pricing period.
Who inspects the cargo?
An internationally recognised independent inspection company appointed under the contract. It issues the certificates of quality and quantity that payment relies on.
Do you charge fees to see an offer or documents?
No. Zoony does not ask for advance fees. Commercial documents are exchanged in a controlled order once both sides have been verified, and funds move only under the signed contract through approved banks.