Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Prompt availability is tight in Fujairah; VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in several Chinese ports; LSMGO availability good across Omani ports.

Published

2 years ago

October 4, 2023

Admin

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:

Prompt availability is tight in Fujairah
VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in several Chinese ports
LSMGO availability good across Omani ports

Singapore

Singapore has witnessed average bunker demand so far this week. VLSFO availability remains tight in Singapore, with lead times of 8-11 days advised. A source says that some suppliers have extended their delivery lead times for the grade due to term contract commitments, which has pushed the lead times up.

Meanwhile, lead times of 6-9 days and 3-5 days are recommended for HSFO and LSMGO at the Southeast Asian bunkering hub – virtually unchanged from last week.

Residual fuel oil stocks in Singapore averaged 3% lower in September compared to August, data from Enterprise Singapore shows. Net fuel oil imports to Singapore surged 17% in September. While imports rose 12%, exports dipped 2%.

The Southeast Asian bunker hub’s middle distillate stocks, on the other hand, climbed 18% higher in September than in August.

China, East Asia and Oceania

Bunkering remains muted in Zhoushan due to the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays observed from 29 September to 8 October in the country.

A source says that most suppliers will resume bunker deliveries in the Chinese bunkering hub starting on Monday after the holiday period. Lead times of up to 14 days were recommended for all grades in the past week.

Meanwhile, the northern Chinese port of Dalian has a good supply of VLSFO and HSFO. The nearby port of Tianjin also has good availability of VLSFO, but LSMGO and HSFO remain under pressure, and deliveries are subject to enquiry. HSFO is subject to enquiry in another northern Chinese port of Qingdao, but there is ample supply of VLSFO and LSMGO.

Availability of both grades remains good in the southern Chinese ports of Shanghai and Xiamen as well. HSFO supply remains tight in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the prompt availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains under pressure in Yangpu.

Supply of both grades remain subject to enquiry in the Chinese ports of Fuzhou and Guangzhou.

Availability of all grades remains good in Hong Kong, with unchanged lead times of 5-7 days. Strong wind gusts of 20-22 knots and swells of close to a metre are forecast to hit Hong Kong between 6-7 October, which may disrupt bunker deliveries.

Rough weather conditions are predicted in the South Korean ports of Ulsan, Onsan, Busan and Yeosu between 5-8 October, and in Daesan and Taean between 4-6 October, which might hamper bunker operations at these ports.

Availability for VLSFO and LSMGO has improved in South Korea, with lead times coming down from 5-11 days last week to 3-9 days now. HSFO requires lead times of 3-9 days as well. A source says that one supplier can offer all grades for prompter dates, but these stems are typically priced at a steep premium.

Adverse weather conditions are also forecast in the Kiwi port of Tauranga between 9-10 October, which may impact bunkering.

South Asia

The Indian ports, including Kandla on the northwest coast, and Cochin on the southern coast, have good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO, with some suppliers advising short lead times of around 2-3 days.

Meanwhile, supply of both grades remains under pressure in the Indian ports of Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, where deliveries are subject to availability. In Tuticorin, both grades remain subject to enquiry as it has been in recent weeks.

A supplier says that the port of Chennai on the southern coast, and Haldia and Paradip on the eastern coast of India are almost out of stock for both grades.

The Sri Lankan port of Colombo has good avails of VLSFO and LSMGO, a source says.

Middle East

Prompt availability remains “super tight” across all grades in the UAE port amid good demand. Several suppliers are recommending lead times of 5-7 days. Some suppliers can still offer prompt dates for all grades depending on stem sizes, a source says.

All grades remain in ample availability in the other UAE port of Khor Fakkan, with lead times of 5-7 days – virtually unchanged from last week.

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

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 4 October, 2023

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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (24 Apr 2025)

Decline in vessels and imports in Los Angeles; demand remains weak in Panama; fuel availability in Brazil is steady.

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 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:

Decline in vessels and imports in Los Angeles
Demand remains weak in Panama
Fuel availability in Brazil is steady

North America

Houston is currently seeing strong demand, and both HSFO and VLSFO are readily available, with suppliers recommending lead times of around seven days. However, LSMGO supply remains tight through the end of the month, with lead times extending to 7-10 days.

Operations in the port are running smoothly, with occasional fog in the nights and early mornings.

"The weather has been favorable recently with no major disruptions," a source noted.

Demand has slightly decreased compared to last week across North America, but bookings are still being secured. Overall, market conditions remain steady, with no significant fluctuations in supply or demand.

In New York, bunker demand for HSFO remains strong with good supply, while VLSFO demand has been more subdued.

Lead times range from 3–5 days for VLSFO and LSMGO, while HSFO requires longer wait times.

Strong wind gusts are forecast until the end of the week, which could potentially disrupt barge deliveries at the anchorage, though no significant backlogs have been reported so far.

On the West Coast, the port of Los Angeles is experiencing a decline in demand, while bunker fuel availability remains stable, with lead times typically under a week.

Vessel arrivals and import volumes at the port have dropped, partly due to escalating US-China trade tensions. Hapag-Lloyd, for instance, has canceled 30% of its shipments from China, leading to a shift in shipping demand toward Southeast Asia.

Additionally, the port noted a 64% drop in new bookings for shipments from China to the US in early April, according to the Port of Los Angeles. This highlights the reassessment of costs and strategies by shippers amid the changing trade landscape.

Caribbean and Latin America

In Panama, the market has been quiet over the past few days across the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, with demand reported to be lower. Bunker fuel availability in the region remains good, with recommended lead times of less than a week.

In Argentina, supply is tight in Zona Comun with recommended lead times of 10-12 days.

The port is experiencing increased congestion recently, primarily because barges of two of its suppliers, Minerva and Raizen, are currently undergoing dry dock maintenance.

“As a result, bunker fuel deliveries in the area are now being handled solely by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, an Argentine oil and gas company, and World Fuel Services, a fuel services provider”, a source said.

Draft conditions in Argentina remain unstable, mainly due to changing winds around the estuary River Plate. Draft conditions refer to the depth of water needed for a ship to safely navigate without hitting the bottom.

These shifts are common when water levels are low and are likely to continue for now, a source said.

This means ships may need to reduce cargo loads or wait for safer sailing conditions.

Fuel availability in Brazil has been steady, with recommended lead times of 5-7 days.

Santos is experiencing some congestion, which is expected to persist for the next five days, but this is a normal occurrence for the region, a source said.

All fuel grades are currently available for prompt delivery across the Columbian ports of Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, with a recommended lead time of 2-3 days.

By Gautamee Hazarika

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 25 April, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (24 April 2025)

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

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Admin

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (24 April 2025)

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

Fujairah – Offshore Anchorage Area
Gibraltar – Anchorage area
Houston – Houston Harbor
Panama – (Pacific) dangerous cargo area, Balboa
Rotterdam – Waalhaven – Maasvlakte range
Singapore – Anchorage, under SBA Scheme
Zhoushan – Southern anchorage area

Submitted weekly at Close of Business UK time Daily

Panellists:
Cockett Marine Oil Pte, Island Oil Limited, KPI OceanConnect, Monjasa A/S, NSI Marine and Transparensea Fuels

Photo credit and source: Baltic Exchange
Published: 25 April, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Port of Rotterdam publishes bunker fuel sales data for Q1 2025

Port data showed 230,129 m3 of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q1 2025, a 6.9% increase from 215,247 m3 in Q1 2024.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2025

Admin

The Port of Rotterdam Authority recently published bunker fuel sales data for the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

Deliveries of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Q1 2025 (against on year) recorded respectively 187,031 metric tonnes (mt) (+5.8% from 176,797 mt), 789,218 mt (+15.9% from 680,782 mt), 829,197 mt (+1.4% from 818,028 mt), 295,127 (+12.4% from 262,496 mt), 97,944 mt (-19% from 120,913 mt).

Bio-blended variants of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Q1 2025 (against on year) recorded respectively 8,490 mt (-68.9% from 27,263 mt), 49,263 mt (-71.7% from 174,301 mt), 28,271 mt (-33.9% from 42,761 mt), 15,640 mt (+8.7% from 13,180 mt) and 5,129 mt (-99.8% from 958 mt).

Port data showed 230,129 m3 of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q1 2025, a 6.9% increase from 215,247 m3 in Q1 2024. Bio-methanol and bio-blended LNG recorded 5,490 mt and zero respectively in Q1 2025.

Photo credit: Port of Rotterdam
Published: 24 April, 2025