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:

• Several Louisiana ports shut due to Tropical Storm Francine
• GOLA reopens after more than 14 days suspension
• Low demand in Zona Comun

North America

Hurricane Francine, which made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on Wednesday evening, has weakened to a tropical storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.

Despite the downgrade, flash flooding remains a major threat in the New Orleans area, which received 6 to 8 inches of rain.

Key Louisiana ports, including New Orleans, Mobile, and Port Fourchon, were closed on Thursday. In Texas, ports like Houston and Beaumont lifted restrictions on Wednesday after being closed for a day. Post-storm assessments are underway at other locations like Brownsville and Orange.

Bunkering operations in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) resumed on Thursday after being suspended for nearly two weeks due to strong wind gusts. Most suppliers are working to clear bunker backlogs.

Securing VLSFO and LSMGO stems for both prompt and non-prompt delivery dates is difficult in GOLA. Some suppliers are unable to provide a definitive timeline for when they will be able to offer stems.

Demand in the West Coast port of Los Angeles has picked up this week. Securing prompt VLSFO and LSMGO stems can be difficult in Los Angeles. A lead time of more than seven days is generally recommended in the port, a source says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in the East Coast port of New York. Overall, bunker demand has been slow in New York so far this week.

Caribbean and Latin America

Bunker fuel demand has been good in Panama's Balboa and Cristobal. Product availability is also good in both locations, and several suppliers can supply all fuel grades with a lead time of 5-7 days. However, all fuel grades in Cristobal are priced higher compared to Balboa's, a source says.

The Panama Canal is handling 36 transits per day in September as the water level at Gatún Lake has increased after recent rainfall. The lake supplies water used for the canal's locks. The transit number has inched closer to the maximum capacity of 40 daily transits.

The demand for bunker fuel in Zona Comun has dropped significantly, primarily due to a slowdown in exports of agricultural commodities. Most vessels bunkering in the region are engaged in the transportation of agricultural commodities.

However, grain prices have fallen due to surplus production in countries like Brazil and the US. In response, Argentinian farmers are holding off on sales, waiting for prices to improve. This has led to a reduction in overall cargo activity, which has lowered bunker fuel demand in Zona Comun. The oversupply of bunker fuel is now driving prices down in the anchorage.

A supplier in Brazil continues to price its VLSFO stems at a lower rate in the ports of Vila do Conde and Rio de Janeiro, which is putting pressure on competitors, who are struggling to compete with the lower prices, sources say.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 12 September, 2024

The following bunker report has been provided by freight market information provider Baltic Exchange for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Note:

All values are in US$/metric ton, all-in (invoice price), delivered on board
Delivery in 7-10 days
ISO 8217:2010
IFO 380 3.5% Sulphur
IFO 380 0.5% Sulphur
DMA 0.1% Sulphur

Rotterdam – Waalhaven – Maasvlakte range
Houston – Houston Harbor
Singapore – Anchorage, under SBA Scheme
Fujairah – Offshore Anchorage Area

Submitted weekly at Close of Business UK time, on Tuesday & Thursdays

Panellists:
Island Oil Limited, Cockett Marine Oil Pte, Monjasa A/S, KPI OceanConnect

 

Photo credit and source: Baltic Exchange
Published: 13 September, 2024

Beijing-based commodity market information provider JLC Network Technology Co. recently shared its JLC China Bunker monthly report for August 2024 with Manifold Times through an exclusive arrangement:

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales decrease in August

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales decreased in August, as LSFO supply tightened and the bunkering operation of Zhoushan Port was hit by ship congestion.

The country sold about 1.72 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in the month, with the daily sales slipping by 1.65% month on month to 55,323 mt, JLC’s data shows.

Bonded bunker fuel sales by Chimbusco, Sinopec (Zhoushan), SinoBunker and China Changjiang Bunker (Sinopec) settled at 480,000 mt, 590,000 mt, 55,000 mt and 36,000 mt, respectively. Meanwhile, suppliers with regional bunkering licenses sold 554,000 mt, the data indicates.

China’s bonded bunker exports grow in July, but sales drop

China’s bonded bunker fuel exports grew in July after the customs clearance of some delayed shipments, but the country’s actual bunker fuel sales dropped amid lower domestic production.

The country exported about 1.76 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in the month, with the daily exports at 56,910 mt, up by 1.68% from the previous month and 9.14% from a year earlier, JLC 

estimated, with reference to data from the General Administration of Customs of PRC (GACC).

In breakdown, heavy bunker fuel exports settled at 1.66 million mt in July, accounting for 94.34% of the total, while light bunker fuel exports came in at 99,900 mt, accounting for 5.66%.

Despite rising exports, China’s actual sales of bonded bunker fuel decreased amid tighter LSFO supply. Domestic refiners sold about 1.74 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in July, with the daily sales at 56,248 mt, a fall of 5.08% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Bonded bunker fuel exports are not equal to bonded bunker fuel sales, as the exports refer to the volume of cargoes flowing into bonded tankers while the sales refer to the actual volume of bunkering.

In January-July, China’s bonded bunker fuel exports totaled 11.36 million mt, a cut of 5.58% from the corresponding months in 2023. Heavy bunker fuel exports amounted to 10.71 million mt in the seven months, accounting for 94.30% of the total, while light bunker fuel exports stood at 647,600 mt, accounting for 5.70%.

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand continues to slip in August

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand continued to slip in August, mainly due to tepid shipping demand.

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand settled at 360,000 mt in the month, down by 10,000 mt or 2.70% month on month, JLC’s data shows. Shipowners showed lower buying interest in bunker fuel as downstream transportation demand weakened.

At the same time, domestic-trade light bunker fuel demand stood at 150,000 mt, without change from the prior month. Fundamentals in the light bunker fuel market did not change much, with most shipowners still basing their purchases on rigid demand.

Bunker Fuel Supply

China’s bonded bunker imports soar in July

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports soared in July, as HSFO demand grew rapidly.

The country imported 458,900 mt of bonded bunker fuel in the month, skyrocketing by 26.94% from the prior month and 37.39% from a year earlier, JLC estimated, with reference to data from the GACC.

Bonded distributors increased their HSFO imports, but they cut their MGO imports and did not import any LSFO in the month. Due to a decline in the economic efficiency of LSFO, some distributors basically suspended LSFO bunkering and shifted their focus to HSFO bunkering.

Malaysia was still the largest bonded bunker fuel supplier to China, with 257,800 mt, accounting for 56.19% of China’s total imports. Iraq remained in the second place with 154,000 mt, accounting for 33.57%, followed by South Korea with 43,500 mt, accounting for 9.48%. Singapore slipped to the fourth place with only 3,500 mt, which made up 0.76%.

China imported roughly 2.44 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in the first seven months of this year, a boost of 11.40% from the same months in 2023, speeding up from a rise of 6.72% in January-June.

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel supply stabilizes in August

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel supply stabilized in August, as blenders maintained largely stable production. Chinese blenders supplied about 380,000 mt of heavy bunker fuel in the month, unchanged from July, with most cargoes supplied for previous orders, JLC’s data shows.

Domestic-trade MGO supply climbed to 170,000 mt in the month, a boost of 20,000 mt or 13.33% from a month earlier, the data shows. Domestic-trade light bunker fuel supply increased as some refineries raised their operating rates.

Bunker Prices,Profits

Editor
Yvette Luo
+86-020-38834382
[email protected]     

Sales (Beijing)
Tony Tang
+86-10-84428863
[email protected]     

Sales (Singapore)
Ginny Teo
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JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd is recognized as the leading information provider in China. We specialized in providing the transparent, high-value, authoritative market intelligence and professional analysis in commodity market. Our expertise covers oil, gas, coal, chemical, plastic, rubber, fertilizer and metal industry, etc.

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report is published by JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd every month on China bunker market, demand, supply, margin, freight index, forecast and so on. The report provides full-scale & concise insight into China bunker oil market.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be photocopied, reproduced, retransmitted, put into a computer system or otherwise redistributed without prior authorization from JLC.

Related: JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (July 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (June 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (May 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Market Monthly Report (April 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Market Monthly Report (March 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (February 2024)
Related: JLC China Bunker Market Monthly Report (January 2024)

Note: China-based commodity market information provider JLC Technology has been providing Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times China bunker volume data since 2020. Data from earlier periods are available here.

 

Photo credit: JLC Network Technology
Published: 12 September, 2024