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ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Prompt stems generally available in the region; supply tight in Panama, especially gasoil; Santos VLSFO back to discounts amid good availability.

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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:

21 July 2022

  • Prompt stems generally available in the region
  • Supply tight in Panama, especially gasoil
  • Santos VLSFO back to discounts amid good availability

 

North America

Prompt HSFO deliveries are available with several suppliers in the Houston area, although one supplier has reportedly been unable to accommodate a prompt stem.

Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO grades are readily available in the Houston area and in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA). LSMGO can be delivered in three days with a supplier, VLSFO in just one day.

Smaller stem sizes are typically priced more competitively than larger ones in Houston, but this can vary from stem to stem.

Availability of prompt product can be slightly tighter in New Orleans, where a supplier can offer VLSFO and LSMGO with five days of lead time, while another’s earliest delivery dates are 7-8 days out. But it varies between suppliers. One supplier can deliver within a day in the port.

Availability is mixed in the US Gulf Coast port of Pascagoula. One supplier has no LSMGO availability for dates 4-5 days out, while another supplier can accommodate.

 

Caribbean and Latin America

Bunker availability continues to be under pressure in Panama and Trinidad, especially for LSMGO. Balboa’s LSMGO price has shot up to big premiums of $120-130/mt over Houston in the past two days.

The earliest delivery dates for LSMGO and HSFO in Balboa vary between 12 days with one supplier and 8-10 days with another.

A supplier in Panama can deliver LSMGO and VLSFO with six days of lead time in Balboa, but has more constrained availability in Cristobal for those dates, and bunker schedules are overall busy for the remaining dates of the month across both sides of the Panama Canal.

VLSFO is in limited supply well into the first half of August with a supplier in Cristobal. Availability is slightly better in Balboa, but is still under pressure for prompt dates with certain suppliers.

VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries are available with a supplier off Trinidad with 4-5 days of lead time, while another supplier can only deliver VLSFO on prompt dates.

The grades are also available with roughly four days of lead time off Aruba.

Prompt availability of VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO is normal in St. Eustatius, where a supplier can accommodate stems with 4-5 days of lead time. Cruise ships will take priority in the bunker line-up when they arrive, however.

Suppliers in both Santos and Zona Comun have good VLSFO availability for dates towards the end of the month, but the Brazilian port has been pricing the grade more competitively to Zona Comun.

Zona Comun’s VLSFO benchmark flipped to a premium over Santos on Thursday for the first time in over a week. It had previously been at sustained discounts to both Santos and other Brazilian ports.

Most suppliers in Uruguay’s Montevideo can accommodate VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries on dates towards the end of the month, but prices remain elevated against Argentina’s nearby Zona Comun anchorage.

Montevideo prices VLSFO around $130/mt higher than in Zona Comun, and LSMGO over $300/mt higher.

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 21 July, 2022

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Methanol

Chimbusco completes bunkering op of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

“COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU” was supplied approximately 900 metric tonnes of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco in Shanghai on 11 May.

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Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) completed a bunkering operation of the first domestically manufactured methanol dual-fuel container ship in Shanghai on 11 May, according to COSCO Shipping on Thursday (15 May). 

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

The operation started on 7 May but was postponed due to unfavourable weather from the Jianghuai Cyclone.

Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

COSCO Shipping said the operation marked an important achievement in green and low-carbon transformation in shipping, from ship construction and ecological layout of the entire green fuel industry chain of the company. 

Manifold Times previously reported the naming ceremony of China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU in Yangzhou.

The methanol dual-fuel container ship named was the first in a series of vessels from COSCO Shipping Holdings, constructed by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Yangzhou. 

Related: COSCO Shipping names China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship

 

Photo credit: Cosco Shipping
Published: 23 May, 2025

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Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

Initial checks revealed that insurance documents and other documents related to the vessel appeared suspicious and all six crew members on board failed to provide valid identification documents.

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Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

The Kelantan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Thursday (22 May) said it has detained a suspicious tanker at about 100 nautical miles from the Tok Bali estuary on 20 May. 

Kelantan MMEA director, Maritime Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi said an MMEA asset had detained the tanker while patrolling the Malaysia-Vietnam border. 

The vessel was detected after displaying several suspicious signs at around 1 pm before it was successfully detained 20 minutes later.

Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

“Initial checks revealed the vessel has six crew members, including a captain and all are believed to be Thai citizens aged between 38 and 70,” he said.

It was also found that the insurance documents and other documents related to the vessel appeared suspicious and all the crews on board the vessel failed to provide valid identification documents during the check. 

The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

 

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 23 May, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge “Haugesund Knutsen” supplying the “Mein Schiff Relax” cruise ship at Port of Barcelona, says Dexter Belmar of Shell.

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Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Energy giant Shell recently conducted its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona, according to Dexter Belmar, General Manager and Head of Global Downstream LNG on Thursday (22 May).

He said the milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge Haugesund Knutsen supplying the Mein Schiff Relax cruise ship.

“Barcelona, one of Europe and the Mediterranean’s leading cruise ports, is also a key LNG bunkering location for Shell as we help more cruise ships transition to lower-emission fuels,” he said in a social media post. 

“A huge thank you to Royal Caribbean Group for their trust, and to Knutsen and Port of Barcelona for their collaboration in making this bunkering safe and efficient.”

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Belmar said LNG is leading the way as the preferred alternative bunker fuel in the cruise industry. 

“At Shell, we’re proud to support LNG fuelling needs at 26 locations worldwide, including major cruise ports like Bahamas, Barcelona, Canaveral, Everglades, Jamaica, Miami, Singapore, Southampton, and Tenerife,” he added. 

 

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 23 May, 2025

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