Crude Oil
Crude Oil Recruitment & Executive Search
Specialist retained search across global crude oil trading, refining and physical energy markets.
Crude oil is one of the biggest commodity markets in the world, but the talent market behind it can become very specific very quickly.
Someone trading Brent-linked Atlantic Basin barrels may have a very different network from a trader focused on Middle Eastern grades into Asia. A crude marketer working for a producer will have built different relationships again from somebody buying feedstock for a refinery.
Even the product itself matters.
Light or heavy. Sweet or sour. Term or spot. Equity barrels, third-party trading or refinery supply. Physical exposure, paper exposure or both.
Imperium works across international commodity markets on a retained basis, with searches spanning crude oil trading, physical supply, origination, marketing, refining, shipping, storage, operations, derivatives and commercial leadership.
Our work can involve oil majors, national oil companies, independent producers, trading houses, refiners, merchants and downstream energy businesses.
For every mandate, we start by getting underneath the job title.
Which crude grades matter? Which basin? Which counterparties? Does the person need producer relationships, refinery customers, shipping knowledge, derivatives experience or an established physical trading book?
A title like Crude Oil Trader may only be the beginning of the search.
The useful bit is understanding what they actually trade, where they trade it and who they trade with.
Understanding the Crude Oil Market
One global commodity. A lot of very different physical markets.
Crude oil is priced globally, but it does not trade as one interchangeable product.
Quality, location, transport and refinery economics all affect what a barrel is worth. Different grades are priced against benchmarks such as Brent, WTI and Dubai/Oman, while regional differentials can move sharply depending on refinery demand, freight, sanctions, geopolitics and changes in supply.
That creates several overlapping markets within crude oil.
Physical Crude Trading
Physical traders connect producers, refiners and other buyers across international markets.
The job can involve spot cargoes, term contracts, crude differentials, freight, blending, storage and refinery economics, often alongside derivatives used to manage price exposure.
The relevant network depends heavily on which barrels and regions someone actually knows.
Producers, Majors & National Oil Companies
A large part of the market starts with companies that control the barrels.
Commercial roles can sit around equity crude, producer marketing, term sales, offtake, joint ventures and international customer relationships.
People coming from producer environments can have particularly strong knowledge of specific grades, loading programmes and refinery buyers.
Refining & Feedstock Supply
For refiners, crude oil is the raw material.
Buying decisions depend on yield, API gravity, sulphur content, freight, refinery configuration and the value of the products that can be produced from each barrel.
Crude procurement and refinery supply roles therefore need a very different understanding of the market from pure producer marketing.
Benchmarks, Derivatives & Hedging
Physical crude trading is closely connected to financial markets.
Brent, WTI, Dubai/Oman, swaps, futures, options, spreads and differentials are used to price barrels and manage exposure.
Some searches need someone who is fundamentally a physical trader. Others need deeper derivatives or risk expertise. The most senior commercial roles may need both.
Shipping, Storage & Logistics
Oil only has value if it can move.
Tankers, terminals, pipelines and storage all influence the economics of a physical trade.
That brings freight, vessel scheduling, demurrage, terminal operations, inventory management and blending into the commercial picture.
Global Crude Flows
Crude moves between producing regions and refining centres on a huge scale.
The Middle East, North America, Latin America, West Africa, the North Sea and Russia/Central Asia all feed international markets, while Asia remains a major centre of refining demand.
The strongest candidates often know one part of that map far better than the rest.
The Grade Matters. So Does the Route to Market.
Two people may both have spent fifteen years in crude oil.
One may know West African barrels into Europe. Another may know Middle Eastern crude into Northeast Asia. A third may have spent that time inside a refinery buying feedstock rather than selling it.
All three work in crude oil. They are not the same search market.
The Global Crude Oil Market
Nearly 79 million barrels of crude are produced every day, but a relatively small number of countries dominate supply.
Crude oil production is spread across every major region, but the scale varies enormously.
The United States remained the world’s largest crude producer in 2025, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. Canada, Iraq, China and several Gulf producers also sit among the major sources of global supply.
Where those barrels are produced matters because it shapes the grades available, export routes, freight economics and the trading relationships that develop around them.
Which Countries Produce the Most Crude Oil?
2025 Crude Oil Production, including lease condensate
| Rank | Country | Million barrels/day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 13.66 |
| 2 | Russia | 9.89 |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 9.55 |
| 4 | Canada | 4.96 |
| 5 | Iraq | 4.39 |
| 6 | China | 4.33 |
| 7 | Iran | 4.05 |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates | 3.77 |
| 9 | Brazil | 3.77 |
| 10 | Kuwait | 2.58 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics and Short-Term Energy Outlook. Figures are 2025 crude oil production including lease condensate and are rounded.
Production Is Only Half the Market
The biggest producer is not necessarily the biggest exporter, and the largest refining centres are not always close to the barrels they process.
Crude can move from the Middle East into Asia, from the Americas across the Atlantic or Pacific, and from West Africa into a range of refining markets. Different grades compete according to quality, freight, refinery configuration, sanctions, availability and relative pricing.
The balance is also changing.
Production growth in recent years has increasingly come from outside the traditional OPEC core, particularly the Americas. Brazil, Guyana, Canada and the United States have all become increasingly important to global supply and trade flows.
At the same time, demand growth slowed sharply in 2025. The IEA estimates global oil demand increased by around 650,000 barrels per day, well below the average growth seen through much of the previous decade.
78.9 million barrels/day
Global crude oil production in 2025
EIA data puts worldwide crude oil production, including lease condensate, at approximately 78.9 million barrels per day in 2025.
13.7 million barrels/day
United States crude production
The United States produced roughly 17% of the world’s crude oil in 2025 and set another annual production record.
42%
Produced by the three largest countries
The United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia together accounted for roughly 42% of global crude oil production in 2025.
That concentration gives developments in any of those markets global significance.
+3 million barrels/day
Growth in total global oil supply during 2025
The wider oil market grew strongly on the supply side in 2025, with the IEA reporting an increase of around 3 million barrels per day as OPEC+ barrels returned and production continued to grow in the Americas.
Major Crude Oil Companies & Market Participants
From producers and integrated majors to some of the world’s largest physical energy traders.
There is no single type of company behind the crude oil market.
Some control enormous volumes of production. Others combine upstream assets with refining and global trading operations. Independent trading houses may own comparatively little crude in the ground but move huge volumes between producers, refiners and end markets.
That creates very different places for people to build their experience.
Producers & Integrated Majors
Saudi Aramco
One of the largest crude oil producers in the world, with an integrated business spanning production, refining, terminals and global supply and trading. In 2025, Aramco reported average crude oil and refined-product trading volumes of around 7.4 million barrels per day.
Shell
A major producer, refiner and global crude trader. Shell reports trading more than 8 million barrels of crude oil each day, giving its commercial business exposure to a wide range of producing regions, grades and refining markets.
bp
Its Supply, Trading & Shipping business connects bp’s own production and refining system with a much larger third-party trading portfolio. bp says its oil business trades more than 4 billion barrels per year, covering equity crude, merchant barrels, refinery feedstocks and international customers.
ExxonMobil
One of the world’s largest integrated energy companies, with significant upstream crude and liquids production alongside refining and commercial operations. ExxonMobil reported around 3.33 million barrels per day of crude oil, NGL, bitumen and synthetic-oil production in 2025.
Independent Trading Houses
Vitol
One of the world’s largest independent energy traders. Crude oil and products remain at the core of its business, with average volumes of around 8 million barrels per day in 2025 across crude and petroleum products.
Trafigura
A major physical commodity trader with substantial exposure to crude and refined products. In its 2025 financial year, Trafigura traded around 177.8 million tonnes of crude oil, within a much wider global oil and petroleum-products portfolio.
Gunvor
An international energy trading business active across crude oil, refined products, freight, storage and refining. Gunvor currently reports approximately 3.3 million barrels per day of liquids activity across its global business.
Mercuria
A global energy and commodities group with physical trading at the centre of its business. Mercuria originates transactions across energy markets and combines trading with infrastructure and asset investments across the wider energy value chain.
Source: Company annual reports, results statements and official corporate materials from Saudi Aramco, Shell, bp, ExxonMobil, Vitol, Trafigura, Gunvor and Mercuria. Figures reflect the latest 2025–2026 information available.
Market context: Companies are included as examples of significant participants in the global crude oil market. Inclusion does not imply a commercial relationship with or endorsement of Imperium Commodity Search.
The Company Name Only Tells You So Much
Someone coming from a producer may have spent their career marketing equity barrels. A refinery buyer may know crude selection and feedstock economics inside out. A trader at an independent merchant may have built their experience around third-party flows, arbitrage and optionality.
They can all have excellent crude oil backgrounds.
The question is whether that background matches the market behind the search.
From the wellhead to the refinery, every barrel finds its market.
Crude Oil Talent Across Global Trading Hubs
The barrels move globally. The strongest networks are usually built market by market.
Crude oil careers tend to form around particular producing regions, refinery systems and trading hubs.
A trader in Singapore may spend years focused on Middle Eastern grades into Asia. Someone in Geneva or London may be much closer to North Sea, Mediterranean and West African flows. In Houston, crude trading can be shaped by the US Gulf Coast, shale production, Canadian barrels and exports into international markets.
Those differences matter when the search depends on existing counterparties and market knowledge.
Middle East & Asia
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and major Asian refining markets
The Middle East remains one of the most important sources of internationally traded crude, while Asia is home to some of the world’s largest refining and import markets.
Talent can sit within national oil companies, majors, trading houses, refiners and merchant businesses, with experience spanning producer marketing, term supply, physical trading, freight and refinery procurement.
Singapore remains particularly important for people covering Asian crude flows, while Gulf commercial centres bring close proximity to producers and export programmes.
Europe & the Atlantic Basin
London, Geneva, the North Sea, Mediterranean and West African flows
Europe remains deeply connected to physical crude trading despite producing less oil than some other regions.
London and Geneva continue to attract traders, originators, brokers and commercial leaders with experience across Brent-related markets, North Sea grades, West African crude, Mediterranean refining and Atlantic Basin arbitrage.
The strongest networks can stretch between producers, merchants and refiners across several continents.
The Americas
Houston, Calgary and major North/Latin American producing markets
The crude landscape across the Americas has changed significantly as production has grown in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Guyana.
Houston sits at the centre of a huge physical market around the US Gulf Coast, domestic pipelines, exports, refining and WTI-linked trading. Calgary brings a different set of relationships around Canadian production and heavy crude, while Latin America adds another major group of producing and export markets.
Relevant experience can span upstream marketing, crude trading, refinery supply, pipelines, terminals, shipping and international exports.
Relationships Tend to Follow the Barrels
A good crude trader does not simply “know oil”.
They may know a particular group of producers, a refinery system, a set of grades or one trading route exceptionally well.
For a retained search, that map of relationships is often more useful than the location written on somebody’s CV.
Who We Search for in Crude Oil
The title may say oil. The useful experience is usually much more specific.
Crude oil searches can sit anywhere from producer marketing and physical trading through to refinery supply, derivatives, shipping and senior commercial leadership.
The strongest candidate is rarely defined by job title alone. We want to understand which barrels they know, which markets they have worked in and where their relationships actually sit.
Physical Crude Trading
Physical crude traders may work for majors, trading houses, producers or refiners.
Relevant experience can include spot and term crude, regional grades, arbitrage, blending, storage, freight, refinery economics and physical optionality.
Typical searches include:
Crude Oil Trader · Physical Oil Trader · Senior Crude Trader · Trading Manager · Crude Desk Head · Portfolio Trader
Origination, Producer Marketing & Offtake
Upstream commercial roles often sit closer to the barrel.
That can mean marketing equity production, securing third-party supply, developing refinery customers or negotiating longer-term offtake and term agreements.
Typical searches include:
Crude Originator · Producer Marketing · Crude Marketer · Offtake · Business Development · Commercial Manager · Marketing Director
Refinery Supply & Feedstock Procurement
Crude procurement requires an understanding of what each barrel can do inside a particular refinery.
Relevant people may combine knowledge of crude quality, refinery configuration, freight, yields, pricing and regional supply.
Typical searches include:
Crude Buyer · Refinery Feedstock Trader · Feedstock Procurement · Raw Materials Manager · Supply Manager · Refinery Commercial
Derivatives, Risk & Brokerage
The physical and financial crude markets are closely connected.
Searches can involve people working across Brent, WTI, Dubai/Oman, swaps, futures, options, spreads, hedging and structured risk.
Typical searches include:
Oil Derivatives Trader · Crude Broker · Oil Broker · Risk Manager · Hedging Trader · Options Trader · Structured Products
Shipping, Operations & Scheduling
Some of the most important people in a physical oil business never sit on the trading desk.
Crude cargoes need to be nominated, shipped, stored, blended and delivered, often across several counterparties and jurisdictions.
Typical searches include:
Crude Operator · Oil Scheduler · Vessel Operator · Shipping Manager · Terminal Operations · Trade Operations · Demurrage · Logistics Manager
Commercial & Trading Leadership
Senior mandates often need someone who understands both the market and the people operating inside it.
That can mean leading a crude desk, running a regional trading business or taking responsibility for wider oil supply and commercial strategy.
Typical searches include:
Head of Crude · Head of Oil Trading · Trading Director · Commercial Director · Managing Director · Regional Head · Chief Commercial Officer
Same Market. Very Different Careers.
A crude trader, refinery buyer, producer marketer and oil derivatives specialist may all spend their careers looking at the same underlying commodity.
What they actually know how to do can be completely different.
A Selective Approach to Crude Oil Search
Broad energy experience is useful. The right crude-market experience is much harder to find.
A crude oil mandate can depend on a surprisingly narrow set of relationships.
It may need somebody who knows a particular group of grades, producers, refinery customers or trading routes. It may require physical experience, derivatives knowledge, refinery economics or an established book in one part of the market.
Imperium works on a retained basis and deliberately limits the number of clients we represent within any one specialist market at a time.
That allows us to research the relevant crude oil talent market properly, map the companies where the right experience is likely to sit and approach people directly rather than relying on whoever happens to be looking for a job.
We are not trying to produce the biggest list of people with “oil” on their CV.
We are trying to find the people who know the barrels, counterparties and market behind the role.
For Clients
Looking for a specialist or senior hire across crude oil trading, origination, producer marketing, refinery supply, derivatives, shipping or commercial leadership?
We can structure the search around the grades, geography, counterparties and experience that genuinely matter.
For Professionals
We do not carry a high volume of vacancies within any one commodity market. But if your background is in physical crude trading, producer marketing, refinery feedstocks, oil derivatives, brokerage, shipping, operations or commercial leadership, we are happy to have a confidential conversation where your experience may be relevant to current or future retained work.
Explore Related Markets
Refined Products · Bunkers & Marine Fuels · Natural Gas · LNG · NGL & LPG · Petrochemicals
