Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (28 Sep 2023)

Normal availability in Houston; VLSFO tight on the West Coast; prompt deliveries available in Brazil, Argentina tight.

Published

12 months ago

September 29, 2023

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:

Normal availability in Houston
VLSFO tight on the West Coast
Prompt deliveries available in Brazil, Argentina tight

North America

All grades remain in normal availability in Houston. Some suppliers replenished stocks recently and are able to supply for prompt delivery dates, a source says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in Beaumont. A supplier can deliver both grades for very prompt dates (0-3 days).

At the New Orleans Outer Anchorage (NOLA), availability of VLSFO and LSMGO has been steady, with prompt supply available.

Prompt LSMGO supply is also available in Miami port in Florida.

VLSFO availability is tight in the West Coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It is even more difficult to secure VLSFO and LSMGO of smaller quantities in the twin ports.

Overall bunker demand has been slow in the West Coast ports this week.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in the East Coast port of New York. HSFO is a bit tighter than other grades as fewer suppliers offer the grade in the port, a source says.

Caribbean and Latin America

HSFO availability is tight in Panama. The earliest delivery date with one supplier in Balboa is 4 October, while another supplier is unable to supply prompt stems because of a tight delivery schedule. A supplier is unable to deliver the grade in Cristobal either that is prompt or non-prompt.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in Panama. Lead times of up to seven days are generally recommended in both Balboa and Cristobal, a source says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight at Argentina’s Zona Comun anchorage. One supplier requires at least nine days of lead time. All refineries and oil terminals were operating normally on Wednesday, Antares Ship Agents said. Improved weather in recent days has allowed suppliers to clear some of their backlogs, and all bunker barges were operating normally, it added.

Strong wind gusts are forecast to hit the Zona Comun area over the weekend, which could disrupt bunkering again.

Global bunker supplier Bunker One recently announced that it has expanded physical supply to the port of Itaqui in Brazil. It will supply VLSFO and LSMGO grades in Itaqui anchorage areas using bunker tanker MT China Spirit. The company entered into a partnership with Acelen's Mataripe refinery in Salvador, which is the biggest independent producer of bunker fuels in Brazil.

Bunker One expects the new physical supply capacity in Itaqui will reduce lead times for ships seeking bunkers at the outer anchorage. In recent months, several suppliers such as Ipiranga and Raizen have entered into and bolstered their presence in the Brazilian bunker market. Raizen started VLSFO supply in the port of Itaqui and São Luiz in July this year.

With the arrival of a new physical supplier, competition in the Brazilian bunker market is set to increase further. Brazil’s major-state owned oil producer and bunker supplier Petrobras has recently expanded its LSMGO supply to several Brazilian ports, including Suape, Paranagua, Rio Grande and Santos.

VLSFO is readily available in Itaqui and Salvador in Brazil. Lead times are as short as 0-1 days in these ports. Supply has tightened in Rio Grande, where a supplier can deliver VLSFO and LSMGO from 8 October.

By Nithin Chandran and Erik Hoffmann

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 29 September, 2023

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Bunker Fuel

ENGINE: Western Australian ports to face bunker shortage as barge dry docks

Bunker barge operating in ports of Fremantle and Kwinana will be in dry dock from early September to mid-November, making VLSFO and LSMGO unavailable by barge at these ports during this period.

Published

1 day ago

September 9, 2024

Admin

A bunker barge operating in the Western Australian ports of Fremantle and Kwinana will be in dry dock from early September to mid-November, making VLSFO and LSMGO unavailable by barge at these ports during this period, a source says.

The bunker barge Absolute 1 is the sole operating barge in this region, according to data from fuel labs that ENGINE has access to.

Although VLSFO will not be available at these ports, LSMGO can be supplied at berth, the source notes.

By Tuhin Roy

Source: ENGINE
Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Graeme Waller
Published: 9 September, 2024

Bunker Fuel Availability

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (5 September 2024)

Bunker report panellists include Island Oil Limited, Cockett Marine Oil Pte, Monjasa A/S and KPI OceanConnect.

Published

4 days ago

September 6, 2024

Admin

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (5 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: 6 September, 2024

Bunker Fuel

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (5 Sep 2024)

Availability is tight in West Coast ports; rough weather disrupts GOLA bunkering; VLSFO is trading lower in Vila do Conde and Rio de Janeiro compared to Santos’.

Published

4 days ago

September 6, 2024

Admin

Availability is tight in West Coast port
Rough weather disrupts GOLA bunkering
VLSFO is trading lower in Vila do Conde and Rio de Janeiro compared to Santos'

North Americas

Bunker demand was slow in the early part of this week in Houston and several other locations along the US Gulf Coast, but picked up slightly as the week progressed, a source said.

Availability of all fuel grades has been good for prompt dates. Most suppliers can offer VLSFO and LSMGO stems with a lead time of five days in Houston. Prompt HSFO supply is tight and lead times of 7-8 days are recommended for the grade.

Prompt supply of VLSFO and LSMGO is also available in Bolivar Roads and Beaumont. However, bunker deliveries in both locations are subject to weather conditions and the availability of anchorage space, a source says.

Bunkering operations in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) were suspended on Thursday due to wind gusts of 28 knots. A brief window of calmer weather later in the day may allow bunkering to resume temporarily before conditions worsen again by Friday evening. Wind speeds are forecast to increase further and touch 43 knots by Saturday.

Suppliers in GOLA have faced intermittent bunkering suspension since Tuesday due to unstable weather conditions.

At the New Orleans Outer Anchorage (NOLA), there has been good demand for VLSFO and LSMGO for non-prompt delivery dates, and most suppliers are comfortable to offer stems for these dates.

All grades are tight for prompt delivery dates in the West Coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Most suppliers require more than seven days of lead time to deliver VLSFO and LSMGO stems in the ports. Securing HSFO can be even more difficult, as only a few suppliers offer the grade.

In the East Coast port of New York, all grades are available for prompt delivery dates.

Caribbean and Latin America

Bunker fuel demand has been good in Panama's Balboa and Cristobal. Product availability is also good in both locations, with several suppliers able to supply all fuel grades with a lead time of 3-5 days in Balboa, and a slightly longer lead time of about 6-7 days in Cristobal.

VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered promptly in Jamaica’s Kingston. HSFO can be secured on a subject to enquiry basis, a source says.

Bunker operations were running normally in Zona Comun on Thursday morning. However, rough weather conditions are forecast from Friday onwards and may impact barge deliveries.

Two weeks ago, Zona Comun was trading at a rare premium over Santos due to tight delivery schedules caused by weather-related disruptions. These disruptions caused delays and reduced the availability of bunkering services in the area, driving prices up.

However, with refinery supply now steady and demand below average, suppliers in Zona Comun have been able to deliver more promptly. This has improved buyers' choice and availability and contributed to lowering prices. With weather-related disruptions again, availability could tighten again.

Bunker fuel availability has been normal in the Brazilian port of Santos. Several suppliers can offer VLSFO and LSMGO stems with a lead time of 3-4 days in the port.

A supplier in Brazil has lowered its VLSFO prices in the ports of Vila do Conde and Rio de Janeiro to below its Santos level, which is typically the country's cheapest port to bunker. This pricing strategy is putting pressure on competitors, who are struggling to compete with the lower prices, sources say.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

Photo credit and source: Baltic Exchange
Published: 6 September, 2024