Commodity markets in 2021: a year in 6 infographics

It had been another year of unpredictable twists and turns for essential energy, raw materials and shipping markets. Revisit some of the key issues and events of the year with a selection of S&P Global Platts infographics, developed by our editors and analysts, and designed by our data visualization experts. Click the images to enlarge.

Eye on a supercycle

Commodities kicked off 2021 with a bang – from LNG in Asia to scrap metal in Turkey and Brent crude, prices assessed by Platts surged to new highs at the start of the year.

More infographics on commodity prices

Sky's the limit? Global gas prices on stellar rally	Slow steel mill ramp-ups fuel Europe's steel price rally

Iran's return

With the eighth round of the Iran nuclear talks taking place, revisit what an agreement and full sanctions relief could have meant to oil markets back in May.

Lowest-carbon crude hunt

Even the most ambitious energy transition scenarios show the need for oil for years to come.

S&P Global Platts Analytics launched Nov. 15 an expanded set of carbon-intensity calculations for 84 fields around the world, with values expressed in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent.

More infographics on energy transition

Surging cost of energy transition casts shadow over COP26 climate talks	Bridging Asia's climate gap: Top 10 emitters

Battery metals supply chains

Doubts remain on whether battery production capacity can expand quickly enough to meet projected electric vehicle demand.

Russia's milestone

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the USSR, which set the stage for Russia to become an influential force in the oil and gas space.

More infographics on Russia

Russia holds key to European gas prices as tough winter looms	Russia retains strong economic resilience among OPEC+ members

China's soybean demand

S&P Global Platts Analytics expects China's soybean imports to rise to record levels this year and next.

Further reading on our data visualization: Platts infographics