• CERAWEEK 2025 | March 10-14, 2025
  • CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

Simon James

Equinor

Vice President, Crude Trading and Refinery Optimisation

Simon James, was born in 1972 in England. Simon holds a degree in Chemical and Bio-process Engineering from the University of Bath. Upon graduation Simon worked with BP in a variety of technical, professional and leadership roles, first in refining and then in the Supply and Trading organization before moving to Equinor at the end of 2008. Within Equinor Simon has stayed within Marketing and Trading, predominantly working towards the crude oil team, first as an originator then as the leader for the origination team. He moved to his current role of VP Crude and Refining in February 2018.

Sessions With Simon James

Tuesday, 10 March

  • 07:30am - 08:40am (CST) / -

    Crude Quality: Too much light?
    Downstream, Midstream & Chemicals

    Since 2012, global crude quality has shifted to a lighter slate. Sour crudes will become tighter in the near term due to combined effects of the collapse in Venezuelan output, tumbling Iranian exports, Vienna Alliance cuts, and Canadian curtailments. The increase in US shale output has added a huge volume of light barrels to the market. These opposing trends may continue for several more years, reshaping the global crude oil quality landscape. How will crude importers be impacted by changes in global trade patterns? Can refiners easily absorb new crude qualities?