Routes

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Looking to pull our Routes Data?

Visit our Python Code Examples section to download our Routes code sample, the quickest way to start pulling Routes data.

The Routes API endpoints allow you to to access data and functionalities available in the Freight platform’s Routes tool. It provides $/MMBtu LNG freight forward curves across global LNG shipping routes.

Spark Routes provides $/MMBtu LNG freight cost spot and forward curves for all major LNG shipping routes. The route costs represent the cost for a charterer to transport LNG from load port to discharge port, which includes hire costs (including prevailing ballast bonus and positioning charges), fuel costs, port costs, canal costs and Panama congestion costs if applicable. The route spot rate is for a fixing for vessel delivery in 15 to 45 days, and the route forward curves are listed by forward month for spot fixings within those months with spot defined at a fixture for vessel delivery 15 to 45 days after the fixing month.

Please read our Routes Methodology for more details.

Routes are released at 16:30 UKT. However, prices may release up to an hour after.

Note

If you have any questions regarding our historical data, please contact data@sparkcommodities.com.

Below is a typical step-by-step process of accessing specific route datasets.

Code Sample 🚀

For a step-by-step Python (Jupyter Notebook) example of accessing and formatting the Spark API Routes data, please visit our Github page.

List LNG Shipping Routes

/v1.0/routes/

By calling the base Routes endpoint, the API output is the routes that are currently available to call. This outputs as a JSON data file, listing the route IDs.

Routes are unique combinations of load port, discharge port, and canal/point. Each route has a unique identifier uuid attribute that can be used to request.

Please read our Routes Methodology for more details.

Get LNG Shipping Route Details

/v1.0/routes/{route_uuid}/

After choosing the route you wish to call, you can append the route UUID to the URL, denoted as {route_uuid} above, to retrieve details on the route. This includes:

• Route Name (Load Port to Discharge Port)
• UUIDs for both the Load and Discharge Port
• Via points in route (e.g. Panama, Suez, COGH)
• $/day and $/MMBtu freight rates using Spark’s spot prices and FFA curves
• A breakdown of these rates into their constituents (hire cost, fuel cost etc.)
• Assumptions used in the route (e.g. vessel size, route duration)
• Please read our Routes Methodology for more details.

Parameters

This endpoint has following parameters. These are:

• release-date
  • Required parameter
  • Choose the release date needed (latest or any historical date)
  • A list of available release dates are provided when using the List Routes endpoint described above.
  • Labeled as the sparkReleaseDates element in the JSON
  • Equally, you can raw input your own release date (yyyy-mm-dd)
• congestion-days
  • Deprecated optional parameter, please use congestion-laden-days and congestion-ballast-days
  • Here you can specify how many days to add to the route due to Panama canal congestion
  • Default is 0
• congestion-laden-days
  • Optional parameter
  • Here you can specify how many laden days to add to the route due to Panama canal congestion
  • Default is 0, available values can be found in List Lng Shipping Routes (data.ladenBallastDays), when specified, the combination of congestion-laden-days and congestion-ballast-days must be in the list of data.ladenBallastDays.
• congestion-ballast-days
  • optional parameter
  • Here you can specify how many ballast days to add to the route due to Panama canal congestion
  • Default is 0, available values can be found in List Lng Shipping Routes (data.ladenBallastDays), when specified, the combination of congestion-laden-days and congestion-ballast-days must be in the list of data.ladenBallastDays.

Unlimited access to historical data is only available to those with a premium subscription. Get in touch to find out more.