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ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Bunker purchases complicated by mass volatility and sanctions; US fuel oil inventories tick up before sanctions kick in; prompt fuel tight in multiple Caribbean and South American ports.
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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:

10 March 2022

  • Bunker purchases complicated by mass volatility and sanctions
  • US fuel oil inventories tick up before sanctions kick in
  • Prompt fuel tight in multiple Caribbean and South American ports

Certain suppliers have been hesitant to offer stems in the US Gulf Coast region before they have ruled out majority Russian ownership of vessels, chartering and trading firms involved when fixing stems. The extra due diligence can delay the purchasing process some.

Massive volatility continues to create a difficult pricing environment. Suppliers typically offer firm prices with less than 15-minute validity before reoffering, and price offers can vary greatly between suppliers for the same fuel grade.

Some suppliers have been reluctant to indicate prices before firm enquiries are put forward, limiting the number of price points available.

Bunker availability is tight for prompt dates in the Houston area, where several suppliers’ earliest delivery dates are eight days ahead.

US fuel oil inventories have regained some weight after slumping to near all-time lows a month ago, the latest EIA figures showed this week. The country’s total stocks of residual fuel oil were helped by builds on the East Coast and Gulf Coast in the week to 4 March, while West Coast stocks have held almost unchanged.

US fuel oil inventories remain below their five-year average position at a time when US sanctions on Russian crude and oil products are about to come into effect.

The embargo announced by President Joe Biden this week is set to kick in 45 days after it is signed into law. The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of banning Russian oil imports on Wednesday, a day after Biden’s announcement.

New oil purchases will stop immediately, but US importers have 45 days to complete deliveries.

The embargo is set to have massive repercussions for fuel oil inflows to the US. About a third of fuel oil import volumes that have arrived in US ports so far this year, or is due to arrive by the end of March, have been shipped from Russia, according to cargo tracker Vortexa.

The vast majority of these imports are HSFO (91%) and have mostly departed from Russian ports in the Baltic Sea (70%) and Black Sea (26%).

Almost all of it land on the US Gulf Coast, with the three ports of Good Hope near New Orleans, Houston and Corpus Christi taking around three-quarters of it.

Russian fuel oil is imported to feed complex US refineries that use coker units to upgrade residuals to higher-value distillates like diesel. Other major outlets for imported and domestically produced fuel oil are US and regional bunker ports.

US importers will either need to source more fuel oil from its other top fuel oil sources like Mexico (30%) and Algeria (3%), and low sulphur fuel oil from Brazil, or find alternative sources to make up the import shortfall from places like Iraq.

Fuel availability is already tight across major Central American and Caribbean ports, many of which depend on imports from the US and could feel the pinch if there is less fuel oil available in the US in the months to come.

Bunker schedules are filling up fast in Balboa, even for a week and further out. Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO is still possible to find in Balboa, but at price premiums.

A supplier in Trinidad has been running low on product in wait for resupply. Deliveries off Trinidad have also been delayed by rough weather and choppy seas this week. The earliest delivery dates range between 9-10 days off Trinidad, compared to seven days in port.

The earliest date in Curacao is 11 days out.

VLSFO supply has been tightening for prompt dates at the Argentinian Zona Comun anchorage. Suppliers’ earliest delivery dates range between 6-9 days to 13-14 days. One supplier is not offering while its barge is in dry dock.

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 11 March, 2022

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China: Chimbusco completes bunkering op with domestically produced green methanol

Chimbusco delivered 1,000 mt of domestically produced green methanol bunker fuel to “COSCO Shipping Yangpu”, China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, from 11 to 12 July.

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China: Chimbusco completes bunkering op with domestically produced green methanol

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) on Monday (14 July) said it successfully completed a green methanol bunkering operation for COSCO Shipping’s first methanol-dual-fuel container vessel at Shengdong Terminal in Yangshan Port. 

Chimbusco delivered 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of domestically produced green methanol fuel to COSCO Shipping Yangpu from 11 to 12 July. 

COSCO Shipping Yangpu is the first methanol-dual-fuel container vessel invested and built by COSCO Shipping Group. The company previously deemed the vessel China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship. 

 With an overall length of 366 meters and a beam of 51 metres, it has a maximum container capacity of 16,136 TEUs. 

The vessel employs an advanced dual-fuel propulsion system that enables flexible switching between methanol and traditional fuels. When using green methanol as fuel, it significantly reduces carbon emissions and pollutant discharges during operations, injecting strong impetus into the green transformation of China’s shipping industry.

“This green methanol bunkering operation, jointly completed by COSCO Shipping Lines, CHIMBUSCO, and SIPG Energy Shanghai, represents another proactive exploration by CHIMBUSCO in the field of green methanol bunkering at Shanghai Port,” Chimbusco said.

“It also marks another significant step by COSCO Shipping Group in advancing the green and low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry and integrating the entire methanol supply chain.”

“As a leading domestic marine fuel supplier, CHIMBUSCO actively responded to shipowners’ demand for green methanol bunkering and worked closely with COSCO Shipping Lines, SIPG Energy Shanghai and other entities to develop a detailed supply plan and emergency response plan in advance, in accordance with relevant bunkering standards for marine methanol fuel.”

Manifold Times previously reported Chimbusco completing a methanol bunkering operation of the same vessel in Shanghai on 11 May. 

COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU was supplied approximately 900 mt of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco at Pier 1 of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry. 

Related: Chimbusco completes bunkering op of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship
Related: COSCO Shipping names China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship

 

Photo credit: Chimbusco Dalian
Published: 17 July 2025

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Shanghai Electric starts producing first batch green methanol bunker fuel with new plant

New batch of green methanol will soon arrive at Shanghai Port and be delivered to CMA CGM to enter the international market as a marine fuel.
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Shanghai Electric starts producing first batch green methanol bunker fuel with new plant

Shanghai Electric on Thursday (17 July) announced its Jilin Taonan Green Methanol Project, China’s first facility to fully integrate wind-to-hydrogen with biomass gasification, is now producing its first batch of ISCC-EU certified green methanol.

This batch of green methanol will soon arrive at Shanghai Port and be delivered to CMA CGM to enter the international market as a marine fuel.

The company said the milestone event marked a major national breakthrough in the field of green hydrogen-based fuels. 

Shanghai Electric will use this project as a catalyst to build a world-leading, full-industry-chain platform for green fuels, to accelerate the development of an integrated industrial ecosystem encompassing green energy, green hydrogen, green methanol and green applications.

The company will continuously improve new energy power generation, water electrolysis for hydrogen production, biomass gasification, carbon capture, green ammonia, and to promote the large-scale application of green fuels in shipping, aviation, chemical industry and other fields.

At a ceremony, Cai Dong, member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor, launched the start of production of the fuel. 

As the first large-scale commercial green methanol project in China, the Taonan project has an annual production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes in the first phase.

“It is the first green methanol project in China to pass the EU ISCC full-process certification and to market to the international market,” the company said. 

 

Photo credit: Shanghai Electric
Published: 17 July 2025

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Singapore-based Seatrium secures USD 400 mil sustainability-linked revolving credit facility

Credit facility will significantly contribute to Seatrium’s long-term goals of achieving its ESG targets, further bolstering its commitment to sustainable development in the offshore, marine and energy sector.
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16 hours ago

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July 17, 2025

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RESIZED scott graham

Singapore-headquartered marine engineering firm Seatrium on Tuesday (15 July) said its wholly-owned subsidiary Seatrium Financial Services Pte. Ltd. (SFS) has successfully secured a USD 400 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility with United Overseas Bank (UOB).

This credit facility, anchored in sustainability-linked principles, aligns with Seatrium’s Sustainable Finance Framework and includes revolving credit features which will strongly enhance the Group’s liquidity and financial flexibility. It will significantly contribute to Seatrium’s long-term goals of achieving its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets, further bolstering its commitment to sustainable development in the offshore, marine and energy sector.

Dr Stephen Lu, Seatrium’s Chief Financial Officer, said, “Our continued partnership with UOB marks an important milestone in advancing our financial agility and deepening our commitment to environmental stewardship. By linking our financing framework to clearly defined sustainability targets, we are not only reinforcing accountability but also embedding climate-conscious principles into our capital strategy. This alignment will actively support our decarbonisation goals and longterm value creation.”

Ms Cindy Kong, Managing Director of Group Corporate Banking at UOB, said: “As the global energy transformation accelerates, sustainability-linked financing is playing a crucial role in driving the shift toward decarbonisation. We are proud to partner Seatrium in championing forward-looking initiatives within the global renewable energy segment. Together, we aim to foster innovation while paving the way for responsible and sustainable business growth globally.”

Since 2023, Seatrium has successfully secured over SGD 3 billion in sustainability-linked loans and green financing, further establishing itself as a global provider of sustainable engineering solutions for the offshore, marine, and energy sectors. 

“The Group is steadfast in its commitment to fulfilling its Sustainability Vision 2030, which is centred on empowering clients to minimise their carbon footprints through energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable vessels and offshore platforms.”

 

Photo credit: Scott Graham
Published: 17 July 2025

 

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