Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (23 Jan 2025)

Bunker benchmarks in key Americas ports have moved in mixed directions, and vessel traffic has resumed in the Houston Ship Channel.

Published

4 months ago

January 24, 2025

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 benchmarks in key Americas ports have moved in mixed directions, and vessel traffic has resumed in the Houston Ship Channel.

Changes on the day, to 07.00 CST (13.00 GMT) today:

VLSFO prices up in Houston ($12/mt), unchanged in Zona Comun, and down in Balboa ($8/mt), New York ($3/mt) and Los Angeles ($2/mt)
LSMGO prices up in Houston ($2/mt), and down in Balboa ($3/mt), Los Angeles and New York ($2/mt)
HSFO prices up in Balboa ($1/mt), unchanged in Houston, and down in New York ($2/mt) and Los Angeles ($1/mt)

Houston’s VLSFO price has shot up in the past day, while HSFO has remained broadly stable. The diverging price moves have widened the port’s Hi5 spread by $12/mt since yesterday to $102/mt now.

Bunker fuel availability in Houston is tight across all grades. High wind gusts and an Arctic Front has caused major delays in barge operations in the port. Suppliers require lead times of at least seven days for prompt deliveries.

Rough weather conditions forced the Houston Ship Channel shut earlier this week. Barge traffic has resumed this morning, and the situation will likely improve tomorrow.

Sailing has resumed in Corpus Christi and Texas City this morning. Pilots in Houston are “slowly starting operations,” a source says. Sabine Pass has yet to become operational.

Prompt availability is tight across all fuel grades in the Panamanian ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Suppliers require lead times of 8-9 days to secure stems, according to another source.

Brent

The front-month ICE Brent contract has shed $0.23/bbl on the day, to trade at $78.84/bbl at 07.00 CST (13.00 GMT).

Upward pressure:

A set of stringent sanctions imposed by the US against Russia’s oil industry has continued to lend some support to Brent futures.

The recently departed Joe Biden’s administration announced sweeping sanctions against Russia’s energy sector, targeting oil companies, tankers, insurers, traders, etc.

“Crude oil prices continued their volatile performance as traders try to assess the fallout from recent US actions on Russia,” ANZ Bank senior commodity strategist Daniel Hynes said.

On the demand front, cold weather in the northern hemisphere has boosted heating oil demand.

“Oil prices have had a strong start to the year on the back of stricter US sanctions against the Russian energy sector and colder weather supporting demand in parts of the Northern Hemisphere,” ING Bank’s head of commodities strategy Warren Patterson commented.

Downward pressure:

Brent’s price has declined as uncertainties over US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have weighed on global financial markets. Trump has warned of imposing 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico from 1 February.

Additionally, some demand growth concerns resurfaced in the global oil market after the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported an increase of 1 million bbls in US crude oil stocks for the week ending 17 January.

“The API reporting another weekly rise in crude and fuel stocks, also weighed on [oil] prices,” analysts from Saxo Bank said.

Crude oil prices are poised to move lower this year due to additional output from the US, with more drilling in the Trump 2.0 era, market analysts have projected.

Oil futures decreased, “with traders recalibrating their expectations for crude supplies following President Donald Trump’s pledge to amplify the US’s already record-high crude output,” SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said.

By Aparupa Mazumder

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 24 January, 2025

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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Europe & Africa Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (14 May 2025)

Prompt supplies tight in the ARA; Gibraltar Strait congestion persists; ULSFO now available by truck in Piraeus.

Published

24 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Admin

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 supplies tight in the ARA
Gibraltar Strait congestion persists
ULSFO now available by truck in Piraeus

Northwest Europe

Prompt bunker availability of all conventional fuels has tightened in the ARA hub. Lead times of 5-6 days are advised for HSFO, while for VLSFO and LSMGO they are at 7-8 days. Lead times for HSFO and VLSFO remain largely consistent with last week, while that for LSMGO has increased from last week’s 3-5 days.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 6% higher so far in May than across April, according to Insights Global data. At 7.40 million bbls, the region’s fuel oil stocks have increased on a monthly average basis for the first time this year.

The ARA has imported 164,000 b/d of fuel oil in May, down compared to April’s 198,000 b/d, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa.

The UAE has emerged as the ARA’s topmost import source, making up 39% of the total share. Other import sources include Turkey (16%) and Poland (15%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have averaged 3% lower than in April. The ARA hub has imported a total of 347,000 b/d this month, a slight decrease from 358,000 b/d in April, according to Vortexa data.

In the Swedish port of Gothenburg and off Skaw, bunker supply remains limited, a trader told ENGINE. Lead times of 10 days are advised for both locations across fuel grades.

Mediterranean

In Gibraltar Strait ports, prompt bunker availability remains tight with lead times of 8-9 days for all fuel grades, a trader said.

The ports continue to face some congestion, according to port agent MH Bland.

On Wednesday, Gibraltar had seven vessels awaiting bunkers due to limited bunker barge availability, the port agent said.

Algeciras also has some bunker delays. Its port authority has advised bunker suppliers to only use the Delta anchorage for bunker calls, in an effort to reduce the ongoing congestion there. Ships calling at Algeciras for other services should use the Alpha, Bravo or Charlie anchorages.

Across the Strait in Ceuta, three vessels were waiting to bunker at berths and seven vessels were scheduled to arrive for bunkers on Wednesday, according to shipping agent Jose Salama & Co.

The Portuguese port of Lisbon has good bunker supply and lead times of 3-5 days are recommended, according to a trader.

Lead times of 7-8 days are advised for all grades off Malta.

In Piraeus, prompt supply of conventional fuels remains on the tighter side, with HSFO availability subject to enquiry.

A supplier has started offering ULSFO by truck in Piraeus, as an alternative to LSMGO for vessels sailing in the new 0.10% sulphur-capped Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Mediterranean.

Suppliers in the Turkish port of Istanbul have prompt LSMGO supply, while lead times of 7-8 days are recommended for ULSFO. HSFO and VLSFO supplies remain very tight.

Africa

Availability of all grades is good in Lome, with lead times of 5-7 days recommended.

VLSFO is readily available in Luanda with 3-4 days of notice recommended, while LSMGO supply is still very tight, a trader said.

There is decent prompt availability of all grades off Walvis Bay. Lead times of 3-6 days advised.

The South African port of Durban has good bunker supply, with 2-4 days of lead time advised and weak demand, a trader said. LSMGO supply remains dry.

Port Louis in Mauritius has normal bunker availability. Lead times of 3-5 days are advised for all grades.

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 15 May, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales increase by 4% on year in April 2025

4.40 million mt of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in April, up from 4.24 million mt recorded during the similar month in 2024.

Published

2 days ago

May 14, 2025

Admin

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales increase by 4% on year in April 2025

Sales of marine fuel at Singapore port increased by 4% on year in April 2025, according to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) data.

In total, 4.40 million metric tonnes (mt) (exact 4,404,440 mt) of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in April, up from 4.24 million mt (4,235,160 mt) recorded during the similar month in 2024.

Deliveries of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in April (against on year) recorded respectively 1.70 million mt (+6.3% from 1.60 million mt), 2.24 million mt (-0.4% from 2.25 million mt), zero (from zero), zero (-100% from 9,700 mt) and zero (from zero).

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Bio-blended variants of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in April (against on year) recorded respectively 33,300 mt (+100% from zero), 75,600 mt (+26.8% from 59,600 mt), 700 mt (+100% from zero), zero (from zero) and zero (from zero). A new addition of biofuel blend, introduced in February this year, B100, recorded 300 mt in April.

LNG and methanol sales were posted respectively at 42,000 mt (+18% from 35,600) and zero (from zero). There were no recorded sales of ammonia for the month and so far in 2025.

A complete series of articles on Singapore bunker volumes by Manifold Times in 2024 can be found below:

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 14 May, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Panama bunker fuel sales up by 21.7% on year in April 2025

Total bunker sales at Panama was 459,126 metric tonnes in April 2025, compared to sales of 377,180 mt during the similar period in 2024, according to latest PMA data.

Published

2 days ago

May 14, 2025

Admin

Bunker fuel sales at Panama increased by about 21.7% in April 2025, according to the latest data from La Autoridad Maritima de Panama, also known as the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA).

Total bunker sales at Panama was 459,126 metric tonnes (mt) in April 2025, compared to sales of 377,180 mt during the similar period in 2024.

In April 2025, the Pacific side of Panama posted bunker sales of 388,111 mt; 224,027 mt of VLSFO, 121,890 mt of RMG 380, 2,485 of marine gas oil (MGO), and 39,709 mt of low sulphur marine gas oil (LSMGO) were delivered.

The similar region saw total marine sales of 302,766 mt a year before in April; with VLSFO sales at 170,075 mt, RMG 380 sales at 108,242 mt, MGO sales at 4,329 mt, and 20,120 mt of LSMGO being sold.

Panama’s Atlantic side, meanwhile, recorded total bunker fuel sales of 71,015 during April 2025; the figure comprised 49,544 mt of VLSFO, 11,442 mt of RMG 380, 1,456 mt of MGO, and 8,573 mt of LSMGO.

It saw total sales of 74,414 mt in April a year before; with VLSFO sales of 55,657 mt, RMG 380 sales of 5,851 mt, 3,338 mt of MGO, and LSMGO sales of 9,568 mt.

Photo credit: George Keel
Published: 14 May, 2025