Bunker Fuel

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (7 May 2026)

Bunker supply tight in Los Angeles; deliveries suspended in offshore Trinidad; VLSFO and LSMGO tight in Zona Comun.

Published

2 months ago

May 8, 2026

Admin

The following article regarding bunker fuel availability in the Americas region has been provided by online marine fuel procurement platform ENGINE for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Bunker supply tight in Los Angeles
Deliveries suspended in offshore Trinidad
VLSFO and LSMGO tight in Zona Comun

North America

In Houston, bunker demand for all three conventional fuel grades remains healthy. Prices are currently volatile, caused by global tensions and Brent’s movements, a trader told ENGINE.

Some suppliers are only accepting enquiries with minimum stem sizes of 300–500 mt. Availability for prompt supply remains tight across HSFO, VLSFO, and LSMGO, with recommended lead times exceeding 5 days this week.

The US Gulf Coast is currently in its fog season. At the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), possible disruptions due to high wind gusts are expected between 7 and 11 May, which could lead to delays in bunker deliveries, a source said.

Sea fog and visibility risks across the US Gulf Coast are expected to remain mostly low over the coming week, although periods of moderate fog risk are forecast between Friday and Sunday at several ports, including Corpus Christi, Freeport, Galveston, Port Arthur, Lake Charles, and New Orleans.

The highest disruption risk is forecast at Mobile, where high fog threats and reduced visibility are expected over the weekend into Monday, potentially impacting vessel movements and bunker operations.

Demand in New York has remained steady over the past week, with particularly strong demand from the container shipping segment.

LSMGO availability is expected to tighten across the US East Coast. Currently, recommended lead times for VLSFO and LSMGO are between 3–5 days, and HSFO needs around 7–8 days, a source said.

On the US West Coast, in ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, bunker demand is high, and availability is tight across all three fuel grades. Some suppliers are unable to offer stems due to supply shortages, a source said.

Lead times are currently stretched, with more than a week required to secure avails, a trader told ENGINE.

Latin America and the Caribbean

In Panama, bunker demand is high alongside high prices, a trader said.

Availability in the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal is normal for VLSFO and LSMGO, with recommended lead times of 4–6 days. HSFO requires slightly longer lead times of 5–7 days.

In offshore Trinidad, possible disruptions from high wind gusts and elevated sea conditions are expected through Monday.

Deliveries are currently facing suspensions due to adverse weather conditions, a trader told ENGINE.

In Colombia, VLSFO availability is tight in the ports of Cartagena and Santa Marta, with recommended lead times of 4–5 days, a trader said.

LSMGO is better positioned for prompt supply, with the earliest delivery dates available in around 3 days.

In Brazil, bunker demand remains good, with availability varying across ports.

In Santos, availability is normal for both VLSFO and LSMGO, with recommended lead times of 5–8 days.

In Rio de Janeiro and Vila do Conde, availability for both fuel grades is okay, with suppliers recommending lead times of 4–5 days this week.

Meanwhile, in Paranaguá and Rio Grande, availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is tight and is being offered only on a prior consultation basis, a source said.

Argentina’s Necochea has returned to full operations after a two-week disruption caused by truck driver protests over freight rates following higher fuel costs linked to the Strait of Hormuz blockage, a ship agency has informed.

Similar blockades had also impacted Bahia Blanca for around 10 days and caused minor disruptions around Argentina’s upriver ports. With revised tariffs now agreed, cargo operations have resumed normally across the affected ports, the agency added.

In Zona Comun, possible disruptions and prolonged delays in bunker deliveries are expected between 7-11 May due to high wind gusts blowing in the anchorage location, a source said.

Availability for VLSFO and LSMGO is tight this week, with lead times extending to 8-10 days this week.

Currently, deliveries are underway but are expected to be suspended if winds blow over 20 knots, as per local authorities’ guidelines.

By Gautamee Hazarika

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 8 May, 2026

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Singapore: Bunker Partner succeeds in High Court bid to wind up Victory Shipping

Estonia-based marine fuels and commodities trading company Bunker Partner filed a winding up application against Victory Shipping on 13 April.

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June 26, 2026

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Singapore: Estonian firm Bunker Partner files bid to wind up of Victory Shipping

The High Court of Singapore granted a winding up order against Victory Shipping Pte Ltd on 12 June, according to a Thursday (25 June) notice on the Government Gazette.

The winding up application was filed by Estonia-based marine fuels and commodities trading company Bunker Partner on 13 April.

Victory Shipping, with representations in Malaysia, India and the U.A.E., operates dry bulk shipping contracts around the globe with voyages performed mainly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The winding up order also included the following name and address of a liquidator:

Mr Farooq Ahmad Mann
C/o M/s Mann & Associates PAC
3 Shenton Way #03-06C
Shenton House
Singapore 068805

The notice noted that all creditors of the Victory Shipping should file their proof of debt with the liquidator who will be administering all the affairs of the company.

Manifold Times previously reported a virtual hearing between Victory Shipping and Integr8 Fuels Pte Ltd, organised by the High Court of the Republic of Singapore.

The event was to set aside a statutory demand served on 3 October 2025 by Integr8 Fuels lawyers under Section 125(2)(c) and Section 10 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (IRDA) against Victory Shipping, according to court documents obtained by the bunkering publication.

Integr8 Fuels provides bunker trading and brokerage services to shipowners and operators that enables them to optimise fuel procurement.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 26 June, 2026

Digital platform

VPS debuts VeriSphere Webshop, enhancing digital access to marine fuel solutions

Key addition is the MySurveys application, designed to support bunker quantity survey processes by providing detailed insights into quantity losses, density variations, and bunkering performance.

Published

2 days ago

June 26, 2026

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VPS debuts VeriSphere Webshop, enhancing digital access to marine fuel solutions

Marine fuels testing company VPS on Thursday (25 June) announced the launch of its VeriSphere Webshop, a major step forward in the evolution of its digital platform and customer experience.

The new webshop provides customers with direct, self-service access to a growing portfolio of VPS products and services, including digital applications, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and sampling equipment; enabling faster, more flexible engagement with VPS’s global offerings.

The VeriSphere Webshop has been designed to simplify how shipowners, operators, and stakeholders across the marine fuel value chain, access critical tools and data. Through a streamlined interface, users can:

Browse and subscribe to VPS digital applications
Purchase services and products directly online
Discover complementary solutions tailored to their operational needs from VPS as well as its ecosystem partners

Alongside the launch of the webshop module, VPS continues to expand the capabilities of its VeriSphere platform, introducing new applications and enhancing existing solutions to deliver deeper operational insights.

A key addition is the MySurveys application, designed to support bunker quantity survey processes by providing detailed insights into quantity losses, density variations, and bunkering performance. This capability represents an important step in the digitalisation of traditionally manual survey processes, enabling greater transparency and benchmarking across operations.

Further enhancements across the platform reinforce VPS’s commitment to delivering actionable, data-driven insights across fuel quality, equipment performance, and operational risk management.

With continuous improvements to applications such as PortStats and the broader VeriSphere suite, VPS is enabling customers to move beyond static reporting toward pro-active operational intelligence.

By combining its extensive global fuel quality database with advanced analytics and digital delivery, VPS aims to empowere its customers to identify risks early, optimise fuel performance, simplify compliance and improve operational efficiency.

Dr. Malcolm Cooper, CEO at VPS, said: “The launch of the VeriSphere Webshop marks an important milestone in our digital journey.

“We are making it easier than ever for our customers to access the data, insights, and tools they need, when they need them. As the maritime industry continues to evolve, our focus is on delivering scalable, digital solutions that drive better decision-making, improve operational performance of vessels, prevent downtime and support the transition towards more sustainable maritime operations.”

VPS added that the VeriSphere Platform will continue to evolve with an expanding portfolio of products, services, and ecosystem partnerships.

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 26 June, 2026

Alternative Fuels

ICS report: LNG and biofuels seen as most viable marine fuels over next decade

This was followed closely by HFO combined with abatement technologies while methanol ranked in fourth place, according to ICS’s new Maritime Barometer Report.

Published

2 days ago

June 26, 2026

Admin

A new report by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), published on Tuesday (23 June) found that LNG and biofuels are seen as the most viable marine fuels over the next decade.

This was followed closely by HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil) combined with abatement technologies while methanol ranked in fourth place.

The report found that in 2025 to 2026, maritime leaders are displaying a preference for traditional fuels that have established supply mechanisms.

The ICS Maritime Barometer Report 2025–2026 surveyed C-suite level leaders, shipowners, and operators worldwide to identify the key risk areas shaping shipping.

Despite slight decline, LNG shared top spot with biofuels as one of three most viable future fuels over the next decade.

LNG maintained its position as a joint leading fuel in the Barometer, with roughly 51.35% of leaders naming it as one of the most viable fuels over the next decade.

“This is despite a marginal softening in sentiment amongst maritime leaders compared to last year’s survey, reflecting its continued role as the most immediately scalable alternative within the current fuel mix,” the report said.

However, the report noted that this positioning is increasingly shaped not just by infrastructure maturity, but by how geopolitical instability translates into fuel-specific perceptions of security, routing exposure, and price volatility across global trade flows.

This is particularly evident in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where LNG’s role is reinforced through continued investment in import and bunkering infrastructure.

Singapore remains the world’s leading LNG bunkering hub, supported by expanding small-scale supply chains and vessel availability, while South Korea and China are rapidly scaling receiving and bunkering capacity to support both shipping and power demand growth.

Biofuels record one of the sharpest increases in sentiment across the future fuels landscape to match LNG at 51.35% in this year’s report.

“This could reflect a shift driven less by structural conviction and more by operational response to heightened uncertainty in global energy and trade systems,” it said.

Their growing prominence could be closely linked to the increasing attractiveness of low-friction compliance options in a context where alternative fuels remain constrained by uneven infrastructure development, fragmented regulatory alignment, and delayed capital deployment across key regions.

Compared with LNG, which is shaped by infrastructure lock-in and geopolitical price exposure, biofuels offer immediate operational flexibility.

Japan has emerged as a key driver of marine biofuel adoption, with government-backed trials involving major shipping lines such as NYK testing biofuel blends on international routes. China has also expanded pilot programmes using biodiesel and waste-derived fuels in coastal shipping, reflecting a pragmatic approach to emissions reduction in regional trade flows.

Note: The ‘ICS Maritime Barometer Report 2025–2026’ can be viewed here.

Photo credit: william william on Unsplash
Published: 26 June, 2026