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

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:

• HSFO supply improves in northwest Europe
• HSFO very tight in Gibraltar
• Algoa Bay bunkering comes to a standstill

Northwest Europe

HSFO availability is said to be normal in Rotterdam and the rest of the ARA, a source says. Availability of the high-sulphur grade has improved now, but securing stems on very prompt dates (0-2 days) can still be difficult, a trader says. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for grade to ensure full coverage from suppliers, a source says.  

VLSFO has been in ample supply in the ARA hub, two sources say. Unlike HSFO, the low-sulphur grade is much easier to secure for prompt delivery dates.

Rotterdam’s Hi5 spread was pegged around $27/mt on Wednesday, which was only a third of where it was in June last year. It has been lingering below $50/mt for the past three months.

Some argue that production cuts from Saudi Arabia have reduced access to sour crude and supported HSFO prices in the ARA. This could contribute to keep the Hi5 spread from moving above $50/mt for the rest of the year, a trader says.

Lead times of 4-6 days are recommended for VLSFO, and 1-3 days for LSMGO in Rotterdam and in the wider ARA hub.

Availability of HSFO has shown signs of improvement in several northwest European ports, a source says. At least three suppliers in the German port of Hamburg have sufficient HSFO stocks available, the source adds. VLSFO and LSMGO supply is also good, with lead times of up to five days recommended in Hamburg.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains normal for delivery off Skaw. Recommended lead times for both grades are around 7-10 days.

Mediterranean

HSFO availability has been tight in Gibraltar since the start of the month. Two in three suppliers are almost out of stock, and expect replenishment cargoes to arrive by 6 October, a source says. One supplier has limited HSFO stocks available and can only deliver stems on a case-to-case basis. These are usually priced higher. The supplier expects to receive a replenishment cargo by 15 October.

Lead times of 7-12 days are recommended for HSFO in Gibraltar, up from 4-6 days last week. The port’s Hi5 spread momentarily slipped into rare negative territory on Tuesday, before flipping back to positive on Wednesday.

The narrowing of Gibraltar's Hi5 spread has diminished fuel cost savings against VLSFO for scrubber-fitted vessels. It could potentially dent HSFO sales in the port.

In nearby Las Palmas, the Hi5 spread has shrunk to just $8/mt. Its HSFO price was trading at near parity levels to Gibraltar on Wednesday, erasing its $36/mt premium over Gibraltar's HSFO in the past week.

Limited HSFO supply in the region has narrowed Hi5 spreads across several Mediterranean ports.

Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight in Ceuta. One in two suppliers is fully committed for the remaining days left in this month, and the other supplier has its earliest delivery dates from 5 October. Meanwhile, availability of both grades is relatively better in Gibraltar and Algeciras. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended there.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal In the Portuguese ports of Lisbon and Sines, a source says. LSMGO availability is also good in the Spanish port of Tarragona, where one supplier can deliver the grade by trucks from 4 October.

Other bunker delivery locations in the Mediterranean such as off Malta, Piraeus and Istanbul have normal availability of VLSFO and LSMGO, sources say, while HSFO is tighter.

Africa

South African authorities have detained all bunker barges in Algoa Bay, two port agents have told ENGINE. This comes after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) detained five bunker barges over import duty disputes earlier this month. Since then, only one supplier has been able to operate its barges.

All operations have now been cancelled and all barges detained in the bay.

Offshore bunkering has completely stopped, one of the agents said. It seems that some backchannel talks are being held to resolve the crisis, but so far, no official confirmation has been made, the port agent added.

SARS has been conducting investigations into bunker compliance, and the bunker vessel detentions are part of an investigation, it said in a statement released last week. The South African authority has called the detentions “lawful” as the investigation is still ongoing.

By Nithin Chandran

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 28 September, 2023

The following article regarding regional bunker fuel availability outlook for the East of Suez region has been provided by online marine fuels procurement platform ENGINE for publication on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

• Bunker demand has been muted in Singapore
• Availability tight across all grades in Zhoushan
• Several East Asian ports brace for possible weather-related disruptions

Singapore

A source says that bunker demand has been “rather muted” so far this week in Singapore. VLSFO availability has come under pressure due to product loading delays at oil terminals.

Lead times for the grade have gone up from 6-10 days last week to 9-13 days now.

Prompt availability of HSFO remains tight in the port, with most suppliers advising lead times of 6-9 days – virtually unchanged from last week. LSMGO, on the other hand, remains readily available, with short lead times of 2-4 days.

Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 2% lower so far in September than across August, according to Enterprise Singapore. The port’s net fuel oil imports have risen 11% so far in September. Both imports and exports are up this month. While fuel oil imports are up by 10%, exports rose by 5%.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian bunker hub’s middle distillate stocks have surged 17% on the month.

China and East Asia

Securing prompt stems in Zhoushan can be difficult now, as several suppliers have extended their delivery lead times due to upcoming holidays in China. The Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays will be observed in the country from 29 September to 8 October.

Suppliers in Zhoushan have cautioned about bunkering delays during the holiday period, recommending lead times of up to two weeks, from 3-5 days last week. Some can still supply during the holiday period, but only for stems booked before Tuesday, a source says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in the northern Chinese port of Dalian. In nearby Tianjin, VLSFO availability remains good, but LSMGO and HSFO supply are under pressure and deliveries are subject to enquiry. Qingdao, another northern Chinese port, has a good supply of VLSFO and LSMGO, but HSFO supply is subject to enquiry there as well.

Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO supply is available in Shanghai in southern China, but HSFO supply remains under pressure. The other southern China port of Xiamen has good avails of VLSFO and LSMGO. Meanwhile, prompt availability remains tight for VLSFO and LSMGO in Yangpu.

On the other hand, the supply of both grades remains under pressure in the Chinese ports of Fuzhou and Guangzhou, with deliveries subject to enquiry.

All bunker fuel grades remain in good supply in Hong Kong, with lead times of 5-7 days recommended – virtually unchanged from last week.

Strong wind gusts of 20-21 knots and waves of more than a metre are forecast to hit Hong Kong between 1-2 October, which might disrupt bunker deliveries.

High waves are forecast to hit the southern South Korean ports of Busan, Ulsan, Onsan and Yeosu from Friday, which may impact bunker operations until Sunday. The western South Korean ports of Daesan and Taean also face possible bunker disruptions this week, with high waves and strong wind gusts forecasted on Saturday and Sunday.

Demand has grown in South Korean ports ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Foundation Day holidays between 1-3 October, and the Hangul Proclamation Day on 9 October, a source says.

Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is tight in South Korean ports, with recommended lead times varying widely between 5-11 days. HSFO requires a shorter lead time of 6-8 days.

Adverse weather conditions are also predicted in the Thai ports of Koh Sichang and Leam Chabang between 28-29 September, in the Vietnamese port of Ho Chi Minh on 27 September, and in the Kiwi port of Tauranga between 27 September to 2 October, which might disrupt bunkering in these ports.

South Asia

VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered with around 2-3 days of lead time in several Indian ports, including Kandla on the northwest coast and Cochin and Chennai on the southern coast.

Both grades remain relatively tight in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, where deliveries are still subject to availability. Meanwhile, supply is subject to enquiry in Tuticorin port located on the southeast coast and Haldia on the east coast as it has been in recent weeks. A supplier in Paradip on the eastern coast of India is almost out of stock for both grades.

A source says that the Sri Lankan port of Colombo has good avails of all three bunker fuel grades. Bad weather is forecast to hit Colombo between 3-4 October, which may hamper bunker operations.

Middle East

A source says good bunker demand has kept prompt availability under pressure in Fujairah, with most suppliers recommending lead times of 5-7 days – almost unchanged from last week. But some suppliers can still offer prompt dates across all grades depending on stem sizes.

Availability across all bunker fuel grades remains in good supply in the other UAE port of Khor Fakkan, with unchanged lead times of 5-7 days recommended.

Meanwhile, LSMGO remains readily available in the Omani ports of Muscat, Duqm, Salalah and Sohar, with prompt dates available.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 27 September, 2023