The following article regarding Europe and Africa bunker fuel availability has been provided by online marine fuel procurement platform ENGINE for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

• Prompt fuel availability is tight in ARA
• ULSFO and VLSFO availability is tight off Malta
• Fuel availability is tight in Las Palmas

Northwest Europe

Prompt bunker availability is tight in the ARA, with buyers recommended lead times of 5-7 days to secure supplies of any fuel grade, a trader said.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 1% lower in July, compared to June’s monthly average, according to Insights Global data.

The ARA hub has imported only 161,000 b/d of fuel oil in July, a sharp drop from June’s monthly average of 215,000 b/d, according to Vortexa cargo data. Shipments arrived from Syria (28%), France (17%) and Sweden (13%), among other countries.

Meanwhile, the region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have dropped by 10% in July, compared to June, according to the Insights Global data. Gasoil inventories have dropped to their lowest level in nearly four years.

The region has imported 129,000 b/d of gasoil in July, down considerably from 188,000 b/d imported in June, according to Vortexa data. Most of these shipments have come from Sweden (24%), the UK (16%) and the US (13%).

Rotterdam’s LSMGO price has increased by around 20% in the past month, while VLSFO price has gained only 8%, ENGINE’s price data showed.

Bunker availability is stable in Germany’s Hamburg, and deliveries of any fuel grade can be secured within five days, a trader told ENGINE.

Fuel availability is tight off Denmark’s Skaw and in Sweden’s Gothenburg, and buyers are recommended booking deliveries around 10 days ahead for any fuel grade, according to a trader.

Mediterranean

Bunker fuel availability is tight in the Gibraltar Strait ports, with buyers recommended lead times of around a week to secure deliveries of any fuel grade, a trader said.

Some suppliers could be delayed by 12-14 hours in Gibraltar, while some suppliers in Algeciras may run around 2-13 hours behind schedule, port agent MH Bland said.

Bunker fuel buyers can secure deliveries in Barcelona with a lead time of seven days, a trader said.

In Las Palmas, bunker fuel availability is tight, and buyers are advised lead times of 10–12 days for HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries, a trader told ENGINE.

Offshore Malta, VLSFO bunker availability is tight for prompt supplies, and buyers are advised lead times of up to a week, a trader said. ULSFO deliveries may require about 5-6 days, while LSMGO availability is more prompt with a notice of 2-5 days sufficient to get supplies, the trader added.

Fuel availability is tight in Greece’s Piraeus, and buyers looking for HSFO, VLSFO, LSMGO and ULSFO supplies are advised to book with a lead time of around 5-7 days, a trader said.

VLSFO availability is tight in Istanbul, and suppliers are recommended booking with lead times of between 5-7 days, a trader said. LSMGO is available more promptly in the port, the trader added.

Fuel oil and marine gas oil availability is tight in Turkey’s Istanbul, a local supplier told ENGINE.

Buyers looking to bunker in Istanbul are advised 1-3 days of notice for LSMGO and ULSFO, 2-4 days for VLSFO supplies, and 4-7 days of lead time for HSFO, a trader said.

Fuel availability is low in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, a local supplier said.

Africa

HSFO availability is tight in most African ports, with suppliers reporting very limited avails.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight in Lome and off Walvis Bay for prompt delivery dates, a trader said. Buyers are advised booking deliveries at least seven days in advance, a trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO deliveries at the Lagos anchorage requires 5–7 days of notice, a local supplier told ENGINE.

Prompt VLSFO availability is tight off Algoa Bay, with buyers advised at least 5–7 days of notice, a trader said.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is stable in Durban, a trader said.

Bunker availability is tight in Port Louis, with suppliers quoting earliest delivery dates around 10-14 days out for VLSFO and LSMGO, a trader said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 6 August, 2026

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:

• Availability tight across all grades in Singapore
• Several East Asian ports brace for Typhoon Dolphin
• Bunker demand low across several South Korean ports

Singapore and Malaysia

VLSFO availability in Singapore remains tight, with suppliers recommending lead times of 12-24 days, compared with 16-20 days last week. Supply continues to be under pressure as the port’s fuel oil inventories have yet to recover to pre-conflict levels, while cargo inflows remain affected by renewed US-Iran hostilities that have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Enterprise Singapore data shows that fuel oil inventories declined from more than 23 million bbls in March to below 18 million bbls in June. Although stocks edged higher in July, they remained below 19 million bbls.

HSFO supply remains tight, with recommended lead times widening to 10-24 days, from 12-15 days a week earlier. Meanwhile, LSMGO requires lead times of 2-11 days, compared with 5-8 days last week.

In Malaysia’s Port Klang, bunker fuel supply remains constrained. Prompt VLSFO availability is tight, LSMGO supply is limited, and HSFO continues to face supply pressure.

East Asia

VLSFO availability in Zhoushan remains under pressure despite muted bunker demand. Suppliers are now advising lead times of around 12 days, up from roughly nine days previously. Lead times for both, LSMGO and HSFO, have also lengthened to about 10 days, compared with around seven days earlier.

Weather could add further strain to the port. Bunker operations across Zhoushan’s anchorages may be suspended as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, according to a source. China’s Meteorological Administration expects the typhoon to track westward and remain away from the country’s coastal waters until Thursday.

Across northern China, bunker fuel supply conditions continue to differ by port. Dalian and Qingdao have adequate VLSFO and LSMGO availability, although HSFO remains tight in Qingdao. Supply of all three major bunker grades is constrained in Tianjin, while Shanghai continues to face limited VLSFO and HSFO availability. LSMGO supply in Shanghai remains relatively steady.

Supply pressures persist across southern China as well. Fuzhou continues to see tight availability of both VLSFO and LSMGO. Xiamen has sufficient VLSFO supply, but prompt LSMGO stems remain harder to secure. Both VLSFO and LSMGO availability are also constrained in Yangpu and Guangzhou.

Hong Kong’s bunker market remains largely unchanged, with suppliers continuing to recommend lead times of around seven days for all major fuel grades.

In Taiwan, VLSFO and LSMGO can be supplied within about two days in Hualien and Taichung, while deliveries in Kaohsiung require around 3-4 days. Keelung has seen a marked improvement, with lead times easing to around two days from 4-5 days last week.

Lead times in Keelung had lengthened after one bunker barge suffered a major technical failure while another was undergoing dry dock maintenance. A bunker barge from Taichung has since been deployed temporarily to support operations, helping reduce waiting times. The damaged barge is expected to return to service on Friday, a Taiwan-based trader said.

The trader also warned that Typhoon Dolphin could disrupt bunkering operations at Taiwanese ports from Thursday onward.

South Korea’s southern ports, including Busan, Ulsan, Masan, Onsan, Yeosu and Kwangyang, have seen bunker availability improve amid subdued demand. Recommended lead times for VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO have shortened to 3-7 days, from 6-8 days last week, reflecting looser supply conditions.

The same pattern is evident at the country’s western ports—Incheon, Daesan, Dangjin, Pyeongtaek and Taean—where lead times for all three fuel grades have also narrowed to 3-7 days, from 6-8 days a week ago.

Demand has been dampened by weather disruptions linked to Typhoon Dolphin, and most suppliers are only confirming stems subject to weather conditions, the source added. Weather-related delays are forecast at Busan, Ulsan and Yeosu between 7-12 August, and at Daesan from 8-13 August.

Bunker fuel supply has tightened sharply across Japan following the renewed US-Iran conflict. A refiner has imposed ex-wharf restrictions on VLSFO and HSFO until 15-20 August, triggering a nationwide supply squeeze. Suppliers in the Tokyo Bay region—Tokyo, Chiba, Kawasaki and Yokohama—are now quoting the earliest delivery dates around 20-22 August. Earlier deliveries are available only at premiums of $20-30/mt, according to a Japan-based trader.

Tight supply conditions continue across Japan’s major bunkering hubs, including Tokyo, Chiba, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, Osaka, Kobe, Mizushima and Oita, where only a limited number of suppliers are offering VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO. Kashima is also experiencing constrained availability of VLSFO and HSFO.

Oceania

VLSFO availability remains stable across Western Australia, with suppliers in Kwinana and Fremantle continuing to recommend lead times of around seven days. Both ports depend on a single supplier, and all bunker deliveries are carried out by barge.

Supply conditions are more mixed along Australia’s east coast. In Port Kembla, VLSFO can be supplied by either truck or pipeline, while suppliers in Sydney maintain adequate stocks of both VLSFO and LSMGO. HSFO availability is relatively tighter in Sydney, with suppliers generally advising lead times of about seven days.

In Queensland, VLSFO and LSMGO remain readily available in Brisbane and Gladstone, where lead times continue to hover around one week.

Further south, Melbourne and Geelong also have comfortable VLSFO inventories. However, both ports rely on a single bunker barge, keeping recommended lead times at approximately seven days. HSFO supply has tightened further in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Meanwhile, one supplier is offering all major bunker grades in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne with lead times of roughly five days.

In Western Australia, pipeline-based bunker deliveries to Dampier Cargo Wharf (DCW) remain suspended until around the end of September due to ongoing repair work. Limited truck-based deliveries are still possible, subject to vessel size. During the disruption, the supplier has designated the Toll Supply Base (TSB) in Dampier as the preferred location for bunker operations, according to a source.

Across the Tasman, bunker fuel availability in New Zealand is broadly unchanged. VLSFO remains readily available in Tauranga and Auckland, with suppliers recommending lead times of about four days. At Marsden Point, both VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered directly to vessels via pipeline.

Weather continues to pose the biggest operational risk in New Zealand. Bunker deliveries in Wellington and ports across the South Island remain particularly susceptible to delays during periods of adverse weather.

South Asia

Monsoon weather is set to disrupt bunker operations at several Indian ports over the coming days, with weather-related delays expected to affect bunker deliveries. Kandla and Sikka are forecast to experience operational disruptions between 5-8 August, while rough sea conditions could hamper bunkering in Mumbai, Cochin and Visakhapatnam from 4-8 August.

In Sri Lanka, bunker availability has become tighter at both Colombo and Hambantota, with at least one supplier advising lead times of around 10 days.

Weather conditions are also expected to intermittently disrupt bunker operations in Colombo and Trincomalee between 4-8 August, increasing the risk of delays to bunker deliveries.

Middle East

Renewed tensions between the US and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz have continued to strain bunker fuel supply in Fujairah. Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains tight, largely unchanged from last week, with only a limited number of suppliers able to offer LSMGO. HSFO supply, however, has shown some improvement.

Supply conditions are more comfortable at the nearby UAE hub of Khor Fakkan, where both VLSFO and HSFO remain readily available. Demand for bunkers has nevertheless picked up at both Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, following the latest regional escalation, a Middle East-based source said.

Elsewhere in the UAE, operations continue without disruption at Jebel Ali, Hamriyah, Dibba and Sharjah, while ports in Ras Al Khaimah remain fully operational. RAK Ports has, however, kept its marine risk surcharge in place for vessels calling at its ports, harbours and anchorages since March. Ship-to-ship (STS) transfers have also resumed at Dubai waters anchorage with tug assistance, although each operation will be evaluated individually, according to Inchcape Shipping.

Saudi Arabian ports are operating normally, with no alerts currently issued by local port authorities. In Jeddah, VLSFO and LSMGO supply remains steady, despite stronger demand. However, rough weather could interrupt bunker operations in Jeddah on 6 and 8 August, and in Yanbu on 6–7 August.

Port operations in Kuwait’s Shuaiba and Shuwaikh continue without any reported disruption.

All Qatari ports are also functioning normally, although bunker availability remains constrained at Ras Laffan, where both VLSFO and LSMGO supplies are still limited.

“While the region experiences occasional challenges from time to time, operations across Middle Eastern ports continue as normal,” an Oman-based trader said.

Across Oman’s key ports—including Salalah, Muscat, Duqm and Sohar—LSMGO availability remains stable, with recommended lead times of 2–3 days depending on the port and nomination. High waves forecast in Salalah between 4–8 August could, however, temporarily disrupt bunkering operations, according to a source.

Egyptian ports remain fully operational, but bunker inventories at Port Suez are critically low across all three conventional fuel grades.

Further south, availability of all major bunker fuel grades also remains limited in Djibouti.

Meanwhile, port and bunker operations are continuing normally across Jordan, Iraq, Cyprus and Pakistan, according to Inchcape Shipping.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 5 August, 2026

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

3 August 2026

• Rotterdam B100 premium over VLSFO narrows
• Dutch ZRE A price climbs by €25/mtCO2e
• B100 flips to discount to LSMGO in Singapore

Rotterdam’s B100 has remained at a premium over VLSFO for another week, although the spread has narrowed by $69/mt to $41/mt over the past week. Its discount to LSMGO has widened by $77/mt to $417/mt.

Singapore’s B100 has slipped to a $6/mt discount to LSMGO, from a $2/mt premium a week earlier.

Liquefied biomethane (LBM) in Rotterdam has regained its price advantage over VLSFO for vessels with Otto medium speed (Otto MS) engines. The benchmark has shifted from a $25/mt premium a week ago to a $68/mt discount.

For vessels with diesel slow speed (diesel SS) engines, Rotterdam’s LBM discount to VLSFO has widened by $93/mt to $242/mt.

In Singapore, LNG’s premium over LSMGO for Otto MS engines has narrowed by $11/mt to just $4/mt over the past week.

For vessels with diesel SS engines, Singapore LNG is priced at a $79/mt discount to LSMGO.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s VLSFO and LSMGO prices have climbed by $26-34/mt over the past week.

The gains have come despite a $6.89/bbl ($51/mt) slump in front-month ICE Brent futures, to $83.92/bbl ($615/mt), and a $1.85/mtCO2e decline in Dec26 EUA prices to $93.34/mtCO2e.

Rotterdam’s HSFO price has bucked the trend, falling by $45/mt.

Fuel availability remains tight for prompt deliveries in the ARA, with suppliers recommending lead times of 5-7 days to secure stems, a trader said.

Rotterdam’s B100 price has dropped by $43/mt over the past week.

Prima Markets-assessed Dutch ZRE A ticket prices have climbed by €25/mtCO2e to €130/mtCO2e, adding downward pressure on Rotterdam’s B100 benchmark.

“Market sources had explained the strong gains by pointing out that not enough renewable fuels are blended to meet the Dutch maritime mandate this year,” Prima said.

Singapore’s VLSFO price has risen by $16/mt over the past week, while LSMGO has edged down by $4/mt.

VLSFO availability in Singapore remains very tight, with suppliers recommending lead times of 16-20 days. LSMGO availability has improved, with lead times easing to 5-8 days from 9-11 days a week earlier.

Singapore’s B100 price has fallen by $11/mt over the past week.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have fallen by $67/mt over the past week, while LBM prices have retreated by $67-68/mt.

LBM discounts to LNG in Rotterdam have remained broadly unchanged, widening slightly by $1/mt to $290-298/mt.

In Singapore, LNG prices have eased by $15/mt over the past week.

By Konica Bhatt

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 4 August, 2026