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Refinitive predicts ‘stronger’ near/medium outlook for fuel oil

‘We expect that cargo replenishments will not keep pace with outgoing fuel,’ says Director of Oil Research.

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Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times was present at the ‘Low Sulphur Bunker Fuel 2020: Assessing Readiness of Malaysian Ports to Become Leading Bunkering Hub’ conference held in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (20 August):

Prices of low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) will are expected to rise after in the near to medium period after IMO 2020, suggests the Director of Oil Research at financial markets and infrastructure data provider Refinitive.

Yaw Yan Chong, was delivering a speech at the ‘Low Sulphur Bunker Fuel 2020: Assessing Readiness of Malaysian Ports to Become Leading Bunkering Hub’ conference in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (20 August) when he forecasted the development.

“There isn’t enough production of low-sulphur fuel oil globally to meet the 11-12 million metric tonne (mt) per month demand,” he told delegates.

“In all, production of low-sulphur fuel oil, including volumes consumed by the sulphur emission control areas (SECAs) and the new capacities, are estimated at around 3.5 million mt per month, come 2020. Another about 2 million mt per month of demand will remain as high sulphur fuel oil consumed by vessels that have installed scrubbers, at the start of 2020.

“There is still a balance of over 5 million mt per month that must be met.”

In his presentation, Yaw noted several oil majors including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Sinopec and Total already declaring their ability to offer IMO-compliant fuel.

Other majors, including PetroChina, Uniper Energy, SK Innovation, and Vitol are respectively making preparations for IMO 2020.

In total, Asia is expected an estimated 2.33 million mt per month of new LSFO production capacity heading into IMO 2020.

“There can be potentially more LSFO supply coming from other refiners, notably the Chinese, and the possibility of using more heavy low-sulphur crudes, e.g. the Australian grades, as blendstock,” he highlights.

“Other Asian refiners, notably Taiwan’s Formosa and South Korea’s S-Oil have also just started offering LSFO cargoes.

“But, we believe that the market will have to turn to the gasoil pool, whether as pure gasoil, or some gasoil-fuel oil blend, to meet a significant portion of its demand.”

To date, there are at least 12 VLCCs and an even larger ULCC, all function as floating storages carrying LSFO, with a combined capacity of over 3.5 million mt located off-Singapore port.

“With the large inventories already in storage leading up to Jan 1, 2020, and more to come before the deadline, we expect there to be no shortage of LSFO on the immediate aftermath of IMO 2020 in Asia, and there might even be an oversupply situation in the short term,” explains Yaw.

“However, given the huge volume gap between global bunker demand and LSFO production globally, we expect that cargo replenishments will not keep pace with outgoing fuel.

“The market could become tighter very quickly, leading to a scramble for the limited LSFO barrels.

“As such, we are expecting a bullish outlook for fuel oil in the near to medium.”

The ‘Low Sulphur Bunker Fuel 2020: Assessing Readiness of Malaysian Ports to Become Leading Bunkering Hub’ conference is hosted by Port Klang and organised by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 27 August, 2019

 

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Technology

Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform, with Ocean Network Express as its first buyer-side integration partner.

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Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Tuesday (21 July) said it has started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform.

The company announced Singapore-headquartered container shipping firm Ocean Network Express (ONE) as its first buyer-side integration partner. 

“It is no coincidence we start in Singapore, as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) remains at the forefront of digitalisation of all things bunkering,” the company said in a social media post.

In November 2023, MPA launched its digital bunkering platform, becoming the world’s first port to implement e-BDN. 

Ofiniti said every bunker delivery still runs on retyped data. 

“The buyer’s system says one thing, the supplier says another, and someone reconciles the gap by email, phone, or PDF. On every stem,” the company said. 

“We built FuelBoss to change this reality.”

With the integration, operational data now flows without manual re-entry, fewer reconciliation errors and faster processing and data, instead of documents, are readily available for procurement and claims workflows. 

“One connection will not transform the industry on its own, but digitalisation gets built one integration at a time. We are grateful to ONE for being willing to go first,” Ofiniti added.

Manifold Times previously reported ONE completing its successful trial of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) with Shell. 

The e-BDN trial, using the digital bunkering solution developed by Angsana Technology, was conducted on 9 September 2023 at the Port of Singapore, with support from the MPA.

In March 2025, Ofiniti acquired Singapore-based Angsana Technology, with the entire Angsana team joining Ofiniti as part of the acquisition.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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