Consultancy & Research

Consultancy and research are central to our services. We provide our brokers and their clients with independent, forward thinking market research and analysis to enable informed decision making.

Our team of analysts make sense of the huge volumes of data circulating in the market providing insight into complex issues, reacting to changes in supply, demand and geopolitics.

Consultancy & Research in numbers

50k

Ocean going cargo vessels in operation

10k+

Number of shipowners

74m

Barrels per day 2024 seaborne oil flows

Key Consultancy & Research services

Supply & Demand Forecasts

Our in house forecasting models take account of macroeconomic and trade developments to give an unbiased long term view of market fundamentals. We produce bespoke forecasts which account for specific client needs.

Future Fuel, Decarbonisation & Regulation

We help clients understand the regulatory landscape and advise on solutions to comply with regulation and meet their decarbonisation strategy.

Data Services

Our diverse maritime data sets range from vessel supply and specifications data, to market related fixture and freight rate information. We provide data in a range of formats including as an API.

Consulting & Advisory

Our team provide bespoke consulting services which leverage the in house expertise of Gibson’s brokers and analysts. We provide feasibility studies, strategy advice and long term forecasts and work with a network of industry experts to deliver any project which our clients require.

Consultancy & Research team

Gordon Collen

Market Analyst

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: London

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7667 1230

Kenechukwu Nwangwu

Data Manager

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: London

Lakshmy Soman

Data Researcher

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: London

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7667 1086

Richard Matthews

Director

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: London

Tel: +44 (0) 20 667 1233

Shashank Sagar

Research Analyst

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: Mumbai

Svetlana Kourmpeti

Senior Market Analyst

Department: Consultancy & Research

Location: London

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7667 1247

Propelling maritime trade through excellence in shipping services.

With over 130 years of experience and a global network of industry connections, we are your trusted partner in shipbroking and advisory services.

From crude oil to refined products we facilitate the chartering and brokerage of tankers.

LPG, Ammonia & Petrochemical Gases

Leveraging expertise, we ensure seamless transportation of liquefied gases.

Sale & Purchase

Facilitating the acquisition, divestiture and value optimisation of shipping vessels.

Specialised & Chemical Tankers

Offering specialised solutions, we manage the chartering and brokerage of chemical tankers.

Projects & Time Charter

Catering for the specific needs of clients in project and time charter requirements.

Consultancy & Research

Providing valuable insights and strategic advice to empower our clients with market intelligence and analysis.

Facilitating chartering solutions to ensure the efficient and secure transportation of LNG.

Managing and actioning the chartering and brokerage of dry bulk commodities.

Gibson Capital provides specialised maritime finance and advisory services.

Discover more weekly reports

Tanker Market Report 31.10.25

Port Fees Postponed

After causing headaches and logistical issues across the maritime sector, today’s meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping appears to have resulted in the cancellation of the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Section 301 tariffs targeting Chinese owned, operated or built ships. China has pledged to also lift its own retaliatory measures. For those companies who switched out Chinese financing, removed US citizens from their boards and took other drastic steps to limit their exposure to each country’s respective fees, the news is likely to be met with both relief and exasperation. So, what does it mean for the freight market?

Tanker Market Report 24.10.25

Sweeping Sanctions

This week sanctions pressure on Russia was dialled up a notch. On Thursday, the first major US sanctions against Russia under the Trump administration were implemented, marking a step change in the administration’s approach. On Friday morning, the EU followed suit, implementing their 19th sanctions package. A week prior, the UK implemented a fresh batch of sanctions.

Tanker Market Report 17.10.25

Tit for Tat

On October 14, both the US and China imposed prohibitively expensive port fees on tonnage linked to the other country. The USTR’s Section 301 measures were published and analysed well in advance. In contrast, China’s measures arrived with little notice; Beijing issued only a late-September warning that it would retaliate.

Tanker Market Report 10.10.25

Indian Expansion

Until recently, Indian CPP exports were broadly flat for the past 9 years, averaging around 1.2mbd. Whilst domestic refining capacity grew over this period, incremental output was largely used to service domestic customers. This year, exports have grown at the fastest pace since 2021 and could be set for further growth into 2026 and 2027 as the country continues to expand its refining capacity.

Tanker Market Report 03.10.25

Kurdish Crude Recommences

Kurdish Crude Recommences Saturday saw the resumption of Kurdish crude flows through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline after a halt of two-and-a-half years, with initial flows set at 150-160 kbd. Already a tanker is on the berth at Ceyhan, loading Kurdish crude for the first time since the pipeline was halted. The pipeline was halted in March […]

Tanker Market Report 26.09.25

Oil Glut Looms

More and more analysts expect the oil market to move into significant surplus next year. The IEA sees oversupply of 3.3 mbd in 2026, while the EIA forecasts 1.7 mbd. Independent forecasts paint a similar picture: investment bank Macquarie expects around 3 mbd of surplus in late 2025 and early 2026, and Rystad consultancy sees 2.2 mbd next year. If these predictions are correct, crude prices could come under heavy pressure, with some saying they could fall to $50 a barrel or even lower.

Tanker Market Report 19.09.25

Section 301 imminent

In April, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published their much-anticipated action plan to address alleged Chinese maritime dominance. Few further details have come to light since, and significant uncertainty remains around details of the policy. The measures are scheduled to come into effect soon, on the 14th of October, after a phase in period of 180 days.

Tanker Market Report 12.09.25

Refining Ramp-up

Last month refining runs hit an all-time high of just over 85mbd, with refineries running much harder this summer than at any other point since the pandemic. Globally, refining has had a pretty good year with margins performing better than many expected; yet the industry is not without its challenges. Increased regulatory costs, competitive pressures from new refineries and changing oil demand dynamics will all continue to increase the pressure on older, less efficient plants, leading to not only changes in flows, but also outright volumes.

Tanker Market Report 05.09.25

Sanctions and Tariffs Test Russia’s Crude Trade

Western economies are turning up the heat on Russia, tightening sanctions and raising tariffs in an effort to squeeze its energy revenues. Yet despite mounting pressure, Russian crude exports have so far shown remarkable resilience. The EU’s lower crude price cap came into effect this week, and Washington has doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as part of the efforts to pressure New Delhi over its continued imports of Russian crude. Against this backdrop, Donald Trump’s latest meeting with Vladimir Putin delivered no breakthroughs, while the war itself grinds on with drone attacks and continuing hostilities.

Tanker Market Report 29.08.25

Cascading Costs

The shipping markets have had to face significant regulatory burdens over the last years. Starting with the IMO 2020 regulations 5 years ago, a deluge of new environmental regulations has come into effect. The cost burden that the industry has had to face differs strongly across industries and asset classes, as well as jurisdiction, with the EU imposing the most stringent regulations.

Tanker Market Report 22.08.25

The Beginning of the End (Take 2)

Back in February, we wrote a report titled “The Beginning of the End” following Trump’s first phone call as President with Putin. 6 months on, following the first face to face meeting between Trump and Putin in his second term, the report itself remains surprisingly relevant. Whilst the meeting yielded little, it is once again focusing minds on the possibility of the conflict coming to an end or at least being frozen. Whilst the path to peace remains uncertain, if progress can be made, it is unclear to what extent trading relationships can revert to pre-war patterns.

Tanker Market Report 15.08.25

Still Handy?

The Handy tanker market continues to shrink. This has been an ongoing trend for many years, which was rapidly accelerated by the conflict in Ukraine. With spot fixtures in the Baltic and the Black Sea going from around a third of total fixtures to less than 10% each year since 2023, Handies had to find demand elsewhere. Nevertheless, total volumes have continued their ongoing downwards trend, and this year seems to be no different. If the trend doesn’t change going into Q4, numbers for 2025 look set to drop compared with 2024.

Tanker Market Report 08.08.25

What’s Steering Aframax Demand?

The fortunes of the Aframax market in recent years have been largely driven by a surge in crude tonne-mile demand following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war. The rapid expansion of the dark fleet servicing Russian trade has further supported the market. Looking ahead, increasingly stringent Western sanctions, combined with broader geopolitical tensions will remain key forces shaping the sector’s outlook. However, reconciling the many fast-moving developments, including tanker sanctions, the EU’s 18th sanctions package, Trump’s punitive tariffs on India for purchasing Russian crude, secondary sanctions on other countries, and The President’s latest comments on progress in talks with Moscow, remains a significant challenge.

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