Business

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Zhoushan suppliers running low on VLSFO stocks; bunker operations return to normal in Fujairah;
VLSFO and LSMGO still tight in Singapore.

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2022

Admin

The following article regarding regional bunker fuel availability outlook for the East of Suez region has been provided by online marine fuels procurement platform ENGINE for publication on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Zhoushan suppliers running low on VLSFO stocks
Bunker operations return to normal in Fujairah
VLSFO and LSMGO still tight in Singapore

Singapore

VLSFO and HSFO availability remains tight for prompt dates in Singapore. Most suppliers are fully booked for the remaining days of this month, sources say. Recommended lead times are around 10-14 days.

LSMGO remains more readily available, and its lead times are about 5-7 days out.

HSFO availability could tighten further in Singapore over the coming weeks as a major HSFO supplier has been temporarily banned from supplying in the port by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA). The ban started last week and will last for two months.

Singapore’s total fuel oil imports surged by a massive 141% in the week to 17 August, and have averaged 3% higher this month than in July.

More VLSFO and LSMGO stems were fixed in recent week, while HSFO fixtures have been fewer.

East Asia

Prompt VLSFO stems remain difficult to secure in Zhoushan as some suppliers are running low on stocks. Sources expect VLSFO availability to improve from early September onwards with replenishment cargoes set to arrive by then, sources say.

Some can offer limited VLSFO quantities for prompt dates in Zhoushan, while LSMGO remains readily available. One supplier’s earliest delivery date is five days out for HSFO.

All grades remain in tight availability in South Korean ports. Prompt stems are difficult to secure as most suppliers are fully booked for the remaining days of this month, sources say.

Only two suppliers can offer HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO for prompt dates in Busan, while deliveries with others are mostly subject to enquiry. Some can only offer delivery from 5 September onwards.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability are normal in Hong Kong and stems require 5-6 days of lead time. HSFO availability is tight as fewer suppliers offer the grade.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight for prompt dates in Vietnamese ports.

Bunker demand remains sluggish in the Philippines’ Manila amid relatively higher bunker prices. LSMGO availability is normal. A supplier can offer deliveries for prompt dates.

South Asia

HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in India’s Mumbai. A supplier can offer prompt deliveries.

VLSFO and HSFO availability has improved in Mundra on India’s northwest coast. VLSFO requires about four days of lead time, down from 6-7 days last week. HSFO is readily available and has a shorter lead time of 2-3 days.

VLSFO supply is almost out of stock in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada on India’s east coast. A supplier expects replenishment stocks to arrive by mid-September.

Bunker fuel availability is normal in Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Trincomalee. Some suppliers can offer VLSFO and LSMGO for prompt dates. HSFO availability is normal, and one supplier can offer deliveries for prompt dates.

Middle East

Bunker operations have fully returned to normal in Fujairah. The port’s terminals were hit with heavy rains and flooding in late July. This caused a massive holdup in the bunker supply chain in the following weeks and forced some suppliers to declare force majeures.

Prompt supply availability remains is tight across all grades in Fujairah. Recommended lead times for VLSFO and LSMGO are about 8-9 days, while HSFO requires 11-12 days.

Some suppliers can offer VLSFO for prompt dates, but these are typically priced at a premium, a trader says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in Oman’s Sohar. A supplier can offer deliveries for prompt dates. Meanwhile, VLSFO is out of stock in Duqm, and 10 days of lead times is required for LSMGO in Salalah.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in Iraq’s Basra port.

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 24 August, 2022

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.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026