Oil people do not like to be written about. Unless, that is, there is some promotional purpose. Motives and positions are hidden to enable commercial advantage, and even false information disseminated to steer rivals and media away from what is happening. At no time has this behaviour been more manifest than now when the industry is in crisis amid a collapse of demand and an oversupply from producing nations. There has been huge wealth destruction in the oil industry, upstream and downstream, as prices have plummeted: amid this, physical oil traders have been scrambling to keep their heads above water, while a handful of the fortunate, perhaps possessed with funds through shorting the market, are circling like sharks to pick up blooded distressed assets. With so many businesses facing ruination, transparency will never get more than lip-service. In time, we may through the petroleum media get to know the winners and losers, or some of them, but right now, when it matters, genuine un-manipulated information can only come from participants in the market prepared to talk anonymously.
The anonymous oil trader is a collective name for a network of oil traders, financiers and shipping sources prepared to speak out on condition of anonymity. Secrecy is essential because, without it, the day-jobs or contracts would be in jeopardy. But with anonymity these sources can candidly make information available on a range of subjects, whether corporate activity, business finances, leading personalities active in the market or those with an influence on the market.