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ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (8 Jan 2026)

Longer lead times advised in Houston; prolonged delays expected in GOLA; VLSFO and LSMGO tight in Rio de Janeiro.
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RESIZED ENGINE Americas

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:

  • Longer lead times advised in Houston
  • Prolonged delays expected in GOLA
  • VLSFO and LSMGO tight in Rio de Janeiro

North America

Bunker fuel demand in Houston has seen an uptick at the start of the year, though seasonal fog has led to increased bunker delays.

Recommended lead times for all the three main conventional fuel grades have been extended to at least seven days, as weather-related disruptions and congestion continue to affect deliveries, a source said.

The fog season remains active across the US Gulf Coast region, with visibility periodically dropping below safe transit thresholds, increasing the risk of intermittent channel closures and barge delays.

Both the Houston Ship Channel and the Sabine–Neches Waterway were temporarily closed from Monday due to reduced visibility. Vessel transits resumed on Wednesday afternoon.

In the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), high winds and elevated sea conditions are expected to disrupt operations until 12 January, with prolonged delivery delays likely during this period.

Port closures and barge delays have primarily been reported in the ports of Houston, Beaumont and Galveston this week, a bunker trader tells ENGINE.

In New York, demand for VLSFO has strengthened in January, while HSFO liftings have declined.

VLSFO and HSFO are available this week with lead times of 6–8 days, while LSMGO requires shorter lead times of around 2–3 days.

Weather conditions have improved after extremely cold earlier in the week caused some supply delays, though a dense fog advisory remains in effect at New York Harbor until 10.00 local time on Friday, a ship agent said.

Demand in Los Angeles remains healthy, with all three grades available from most suppliers within lead times of 7–8 days.

Container traffic is expected to ease, with 19 vessel arrivals forecast next week, down from 21 this week, according to the port’s vessel tracker Signal.

In Canada’s Vancouver, HSFO can be delivered between 14–15 January, while VLSFO and LSMGO can be supplied within lead times of 4–8 days.

Latin America and the Caribbean

In Panama, bunker fuel demand has increased since the end of last year.

Availability at Balboa and Cristobal remains good, with all three grades deliverable within recommended lead times of 4–7 days.

The shortest lead time VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered via one supplier in Panama is around 2–3 days.

In Colombia’s key ports of Cartagena, Santa Marta and Barranquilla, fuel availability remains good, with VLSFO and LSMGO requiring lead time of 3-4 days, a bunker trader said.

In the Bahamas’ Freeport, weather conditions remain stable, with cruise vessels being prioritised for bunker deliveries.

HSFO is currently not available in Brazil. VLSFO and LSMGO availability is steady in Santos, with lead times of around 5–8 days.

In Rio de Janeiro, availability is tight for both grades and requires at least seven days of lead time, a supplier said. At OPL Sepetiba, the earliest delivery date for VLSFO and LSMGO is 10 January.

In Salvador, availability is okay, and lead times are between 4-5 days for most suppliers. Paranaguá continues to offer normal VLSFO availability with delivery in 4–5 days, while LSMGO remains unavailable.

Across Rio Grande, Belém and Vila do Conde, both low sulphur grades are available and can be supplied within the recommended lead times of 4–5 days. In Itaqui, the earliest delivery date for VLSFO is between 10-11 January. LSMGO is currently not available in the port.

At Argentina’s Zona Comun, high wind gusts are expected to disrupt bunkering until 10 January, with deliveries likely to be suspended intermittently. Advised lead times have been extended to around 8–10 days this week, a source said.

By Gautamee Hazarika

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 9 January, 2026

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Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform, with Ocean Network Express as its first buyer-side integration partner.

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Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Tuesday (21 July) said it has started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform.

The company announced Singapore-headquartered container shipping firm Ocean Network Express (ONE) as its first buyer-side integration partner. 

“It is no coincidence we start in Singapore, as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) remains at the forefront of digitalisation of all things bunkering,” the company said in a social media post.

In November 2023, MPA launched its digital bunkering platform, becoming the world’s first port to implement e-BDN. 

Ofiniti said every bunker delivery still runs on retyped data. 

“The buyer’s system says one thing, the supplier says another, and someone reconciles the gap by email, phone, or PDF. On every stem,” the company said. 

“We built FuelBoss to change this reality.”

With the integration, operational data now flows without manual re-entry, fewer reconciliation errors and faster processing and data, instead of documents, are readily available for procurement and claims workflows. 

“One connection will not transform the industry on its own, but digitalisation gets built one integration at a time. We are grateful to ONE for being willing to go first,” Ofiniti added.

Manifold Times previously reported ONE completing its successful trial of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) with Shell. 

The e-BDN trial, using the digital bunkering solution developed by Angsana Technology, was conducted on 9 September 2023 at the Port of Singapore, with support from the MPA.

In March 2025, Ofiniti acquired Singapore-based Angsana Technology, with the entire Angsana team joining Ofiniti as part of the acquisition.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 22 July, 2026

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PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure.
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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CIMC SOE) recently signed a contract with Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 12,000-cubic metre (m3) LNG bunkering vessel, according to Chinese maritime media.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will support Sinopec’s efforts to expand its presence in the marine clean energy sector.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s LNG bunkering infrastructure.

With this signing , CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering’s LNG bunkering vessel orderbook is further strengthened, maintaining its leading position in the global market for small and medium-sized LNG bunkering vessels.

The contract also marked another milestone for CIMC SOE, which has seen a sharp increase in orders and business performance this year amid a surge in domestic LNG vessel demand.

 

Photo credit: Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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