Petroleum coke (petcoke) is a carbonaceous solid byproduct derived from oil refinery coking units, produced when heavy residual feedstocks such as vacuum residue, atmospheric residue, or heavy crude oil fractions are thermally cracked at high temperatures to recover lighter hydrocarbon fractions. The resulting material is composed predominantly of carbon (typically 90–97 wt%), with varying levels of sulfur, metals (vanadium, nickel), and ash depending on the crude oil source and processing conditions. Petcoke is commercially produced in several forms—most commonly green (raw) coke and calcined coke—and finds application as a fuel in cement kilns, power plants, and industrial boilers (fuel-grade petcoke), as well as a carbon source in aluminum smelting anodes, graphite electrode manufacturing, and titanium dioxide production (anode/calcined-grade petcoke). Its high calorific value, low ash content relative to coal, and relatively low cost make it an important industrial commodity, though its high sulfur content in many grades poses environmental and handling challenges.
How About the Price?
Key Influence Events
Data source: UN Comtrade monthly trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?period=202606&cmdCode=271311&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-09-24
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-07 to 2026-06)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 271311 moved from USD 115/ton in 2025-07 to USD 151/ton in 2026-06 (+31.6% across the window). The window high was USD 151/ton in 2026-06 and the low USD 70/ton in 2025-09. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +17.8% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 4,724.2 million of export value on 41,014,031 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 3,417,836 tonnes a month. These are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 10 economies: BRA, CAN, DEU, GRC, HUN, IDN, NLD, POL, IND, USA. The panel is constant in every month of the window, so month-to-month movement is not a composition effect.
- Monthly unit value range over the window: USD 70 to USD 151/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-06: USD 151/ton, +4.6% against the previous month, on 3,372,246 tonnes.
Demand-side factors
- No documented demand-side influences in the available influence logs from 2020 through mid-2026.
Related market pages on this site: Calcined Petroleum Coke, Petroleum Coke Powder, Bitumen, Silicon Carbide market analysis.
Basis: these are customs unit values for the stated HS heading, not quoted spot, contract or assessed prices, and no paid price assessment is used or redistributed on this page. Every figure can be re-checked at the API links listed at the end of this page. Coverage note: HS 271311 covers petroleum coke that is not calcined; calcined coke falls under HS 271312.
Top Countries Production Capacity
| Grade / Type | Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Fixed Carbon | 88–92 | wt% |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Sulfur Content | 3–7 | wt% |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Ash Content | 0.2–1.0 | wt% |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Volatile Matter | 8–14 | wt% |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Moisture | 6–12 | wt% |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Gross Calorific Value | 7,800–8,200 | kcal/kg |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Vanadium | 100–500 | ppm |
| Fuel-Grade (High Sulfur) | Nickel | 50–200 | ppm |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Fixed Carbon | 90–92 | wt% |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Sulfur Content | 0.5–3.0 | wt% |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Volatile Matter | 8–12 | wt% |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Ash Content | <0.5 | wt% |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Vanadium | <250 | ppm |
| Anode-Grade Green Coke | Nickel | <150 | ppm |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Fixed Carbon | 98–99.5 | wt% |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Sulfur Content | 0.5–3.0 | wt% |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Volatile Matter | <0.5 | wt% |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Ash Content | <0.3 | wt% |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Real Density | 2.04–2.10 | g/cm³ |
| Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) | Electrical Resistivity | 450–600 | µΩ·m |
| Needle Coke (Premium) | Fixed Carbon | >99 | wt% |
| Needle Coke (Premium) | Sulfur Content | <0.5 | wt% |
| Needle Coke (Premium) | Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) | 0.5–1.5 | ×10⁻⁶/°C |
| Needle Coke (Premium) | Real Density | 2.12–2.15 | g/cm³ |
| Needle Coke (Premium) | Volatile Matter | <0.3 | wt% |
Data Sources
Price, volume and capacity figures on this page are computed from the public sources listed below; no subscription assessment data is used or redistributed.
- UN Comtrade monthly public trade statistics — HS 271311, exports, by month (2025-07 to 2026-06): 2025-07, 2025-08, 2025-09, 2025-10, 2025-11, 2025-12, 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, 2026-04, 2026-05, 2026-06
- Fixed reporting panel for this series: BRA, CAN, DEU, GRC, HUN, IDN, NLD, POL, IND, USA. The exact API calls are the per-month links above.
- Capacity reference: https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil | Spring, Texas, USA | Baton Rouge LA, Whiting IN, Baytown TX, Joliet IL, Houston TX, Garyville LA |
| BP | London, United Kingdom | Whiting IN, Cherry Point WA, Lingen, Gelsenkirchen, Castellon |
| Chevron | San Ramon, California, USA | Richmond CA, Pascagoula MS, El Segundo CA, Pascagoula MS |
| Marathon Petroleum | Findlay, Ohio, USA | Detroit MI, Garyville LA, Texas City TX, Canton OH |
| Phillips 66 | Houston, Texas, USA | Lake Charles LA, Sweeny TX, Westlake LA, Ponca City OK, Borger TX, Wood River IL, Roxana IL |
| Valero Energy | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Houston TX, Texas City TX, Delaware City DE, Corpus Christi TX, Port Arthur TX, St. Charles LA |
| Reliance Industries | Mumbai, India | Jamnagar, Gujarat, India |
| Sinopec | Beijing, China | Shanghai, China, Qingdao, China, Tianjin, China, Nanjing, China, Guangzhou, China, Cangzhou, China, Jilin, China |
| PetroChina | Beijing, China | Daqing, China, Lanzhou, China, Liaoyang, China, Fushun, China, Jilin, China, Dalian, China |
| Indian Oil Corporation | New Delhi, India | Gujarat, India, Haldia, India, Bongaigaon, India, Mathura, India, Panipat, India, Paradip, India |
| Shell | The Hague, Netherlands | St. Rose LA, Trinidad, Western Canada |
| TotalEnergies | Courbevoie, France | Port Arthur TX, Antwerp, Belgium |
| Saudi Aramco | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia |
| Suncor Energy | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada |
| Husky Energy | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada, Cherry Point WA, USA |
| Oxbow Corporation | Stamford, Connecticut, USA | Lake Charles LA, USA |
| Aminco Resources | Houston, Texas, USA | Lake Charles LA, USA |
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