BIMCO, on Friday (24 January) published its ‘Shipping number of the week’ reporting on the largest drop in the price level of VLSFO in Singapore:
Singapore has seen one of the largest drops in the price of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), which peaked on 7 January 2020 at USD 740 per metric tonne (MT) and dropped USD 99 to USD 641 per MT on 22 January. The price has also fallen in other ports around the world.
Prices rose in December as shipowners transitioned to the IMO2020 compliant low-sulphur fuel oil causing the VLSFO and High-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) spread to reach record breaking levels. This trend has started to reserve, with the VLSFO-HSFO spread narrowing in Singapore by USD 55 per MT to 284 per MT on 22 January from USD 339 on 7 January, a 19% decline.
Transitioning past the first wave of IMO2020
The initial uptick in low-sulphur fuel oil prices marked the first wave of IMO2020, whereas the price levels are now declining towards a point of stabilization.
Even given the recent narrowing of the spread, shipping companies are still faced with a massive uptick in fuel oil costs, which is set to affect operating margins in the upcoming quarters, as many companies have little leeway to pass on the additional costs to their customers.
Despite the lower spread, the investment payback period for a scrubber is between half a year to one and a half years, depending on the cost of the scrubber and daily consumption, which allows for substantial fuel oil cost savings for scrubber-fitted ships.
Photo credit: BIMCO
Published: 28 January, 2020
The transition from burning high sulphur fuels to low sulphur fuels went more smoothly than even the most optimistic engineer dared to predict, said the company.
Built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Guangzhou Shipbuilding, the vessels will be delivered by 2023 and leased to Shell by the Bank of Communications.
Owner of Prime South should have done due diligence to ensure legitimacy of the charterer, says industry observer.
Construction of the Prince Rupert Marine Fuels bunkering facility could begin in early 2019.
Opening ceremony on Tuesday concluded with Senior Minister of State touring the highlights of the exhibition.
To enter charters for six scrubber-retrofitted vessels, beginning after installation, with duration into 2022.
The top three positive movers in the 2020 bunker supplier list are Hong Lam Fuels Pte Ltd (+13); Chevron Singapore Pte Ltd (+12); and SK Energy International (+8), according to MPA list.
‘We will operate in the Singapore bunkering market from the Tokyo, with support from local staff at Sumitomo Corporation Singapore,’ source tells Manifold Times.
Changes include abolishing advance declaration of bunkers as dangerous cargo, reducing pilotage fees on vessels receiving bunkers, and a ‘whitelist’ system for bunker tankers.
Claim relates to deliveries of MGO to the vessels Pacific Diligence, Pacific Valkyrie, Pacific Defiance, Crest Alpha 1, and Pacific Warlock between March 2020 to April 2020.
3,490 mt of LSFO from Itochu Enex was lifted at Universal Terminal; the same bunker stem was bought by Global Marine Logistics and delivered by bunker tanker Juma to receiving vessel Kirana Nawa.
Representatives of Veritas Petroleum Services, Maersk, INTERTANKO, ElbOil Singapore, and SDE International provide insight from their respective fields of expertise on what lies ahead.
