Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (14 Nov 2023)

VLSFO and HSFO availability tight in Singapore; prompt availability tight for all grades in Zhoushan; several East Asian ports could face weather disruptions.

Published

1 year ago

November 15, 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:

VLSFO and HSFO availability tight in Singapore
Prompt availability tight for all grades in Zhoushan
Several East Asian ports could face weather disruptions

Singapore

Singapore has seen “quiet” demand so far this week, a trader says. VLSFO has been persistently tight in the Southeast Asian bunker hub as some suppliers are facing tight delivery schedules. A source explains this is because terminal loadings have been jammed as there are several tankers loading and discharging cargoes. Lead times for the grade have gone up from 10-12 days to more than two weeks now.

Similarly, HSFO availability also remains tight at the port, with most suppliers now recommending lead times of more than two weeks – up from 10-12 days last week. LSMGO, on the other hand, remains in ample supply, with short lead times of 3-5 days.

Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 2% lower so far this month compared to October, according to Enterprise Singapore. The Southeast Asian bunker hub’s net fuel oil imports have plunged 68% and are at their lowest level since the beginning of this year. While Singapore’s fuel oil imports have dropped 40% so far this month, its exports have surged 35%.

The port’s middle distillate stocks, on the other hand, have risen 14% on the month.

China, East Asia and Oceania

Weather-induced disruptions and delayed replenishment of cargoes have kept prompt availability of all grades under pressure in Zhoushan. Meanwhile, bunker demand has shown signs of improvement in the Chinese bunkering hub, a trader says. This has contributed to further tighten bunker fuel availability in the port.

Most suppliers in Zhoushan are recommending lead times of 5-7 days for VLSFO and HSFO – almost unchanged from last week. LSMGO lead times have gone up from 3-5 days to 4-7 days now.

Bunker deliveries resumed at Zhoushan’s Tiaozhoumen and Xiazhimen outer anchorages on Tuesday after being suspended by bad weather last week. Four anchorages in the Chinese bunkering hub are operational now, a source says.

Meanwhile, the northern Chinese port of Dalian has good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO. Availability of VLSFO remains good in the nearby port of Tianjin as well, but LSMGO and HSFO remain under pressure, and deliveries are subject to enquiry. HSFO remains subject to enquiry in the other northern Chinese port of Qingdao, and prompt availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is tight there

Prompt supply of both grades remains tight in the southern Chinese ports of Shanghai and Xiamen. HSFO continues to remain under pressure in Shanghai, with deliveries subject to enquiry.

Guangzhou port has good availability of VLSFO, but LSMGO supply remains under pressure, with several suppliers recommending lead times of 5-7 days. Availability of both grades remains subject to enquiry in the southeastern port of Fuzhou.

On the other hand, both grades remain in good supply in the Chinese port of Yangpu.

Availability of all bunker fuel grades remains good in Hong Kong as it has been in recent weeks. Most suppliers are advising lead times of 5-7 days for all grades.

Strong wind gusts of 22-34 knots and swells of more than a metre are forecast in Hong Kong between Thursday and Friday, which could hamper bunkering in the port.

Strong winds and high waves are predicted to hit the southern South Korean ports of Busan, Ulsan, Onsan, Daesan, Taean and Yeosu from Friday, which may impact bunker operations until Sunday.

Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO has improved in South Korean ports amid “extremely quiet” bunker demand, a trader says. Most suppliers are recommending lead times of 2-4 days for both grades – down from 5-8 days last week. Availability HSFO, on the other hand, continues to remain tight in South Korea, with lead times of 5-13 days advised – virtually unchanged from last week.

Adverse weather conditions are also predicted in the Philippine port of Subic Bay between 14-16 November, in the Thai ports of Koh Sichang and Leam Chabang between 16-18 November, and the Vietnamese port of Hai Phong on 16 November, which might disrupt bunker deliveries in these ports.

Meanwhile, port operations have resumed fully at the Australian ports of Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne & Sydney on Monday, after being suspended for three days due to a cyber security incident, according to GAC Hot Port News.

South Asia

Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains good in Kandla on India’s northwest coast and Cochin on the southern coast, with several suppliers advising short lead times of 2-3 days.

On the other hand, the Indian ports of Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Haldia and Paradip have tight availability of both grades, with deliveries subject to availability. Bunker deliveries remain subject to enquiry in Tuticorin on the southeast coast as it has been in recent weeks.

Bad weather is forecast in the southern Indian port of Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, which might hamper bunker operations.

Middle East

Availability of all grades has tightened in Fujairah amid strong bunker demand, with lead times going up from 5-7 days last week to 7-10 days now.

The Omani ports of Duqm, Sohar, Salalah and Muscat have good availability of LSMGO, with prompt supply available.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 15 November, 2023

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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (20 Mar 2025)

New York bunker supply is steady; fog season across the US Gulf Coast; VLSFO availability in Zona Comun remains volatile.

Published

4 days ago

March 21, 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:

New York bunker supply is steady
Fog season across the US Gulf Coast
VLSFO availability in Zona Comun remains volatile

North America

Bunker fuel availability across all grades in Houston remains tight through 21 March, with lead times extending beyond seven days.

Weather conditions at the East Coast port are currently stable, but high wind gusts are expected to pick up by the end of the week.

The US Gulf Coast is in the midst of its fog season, leading to reduced visibility across the region. Bunkering operations at ports such as Houston, Galveston, Lake Charles, Pascagoula, Mobile, Port Arthur, Freeport and Corpus Christi could face further delays due to fog, a source said.

Bunker fuel availability in New York and across the East Coast is steady. In New York, suppliers can offer prompt deliveries with expected lead times of 3-4 days.

Strong wind gusts between 20-23 March could lead to possible delays at New York and affect the availability of bunker barges. However, there are no reported backlogs.

On the West Coast, in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, demand has been quiet so far this week, and prompt availability across all fuel grades is good. Suppliers recommend lead times of 6-7 days.

Bunker deliveries in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) are currently in progress and are expected to fully resume this afternoon.

However, operations may face further disruptions until March 20 due to strong wind gusts, a source said.

In Canada’s Montreal, bunker operations could face disruptions from 20-24 March due to high wind gusts. Barge activity remains limited to daylight hours, contributing to backlog congestion. High winds may also cause delays.

Caribbean and Latin America

Bunker demand in Panama has been relatively slow this week, a source says.

HSFO availability in Cristobal requires a lead time of at least seven days for prompt deliveries, while in Balboa, lead times are shorter due to a higher number of barges operating on that side of the canal, allowing for quicker deliveries.

For VLSFO and LSMGO, supply is available in both Balboa and Panama within a week.

“It is best to book bunkers only after the vessel's transit slot is confirmed to ensure timely delivery, and secure the most cost-effective refueling option,” the source added.

VLSFO availability at the Zona Comun anchorage remains volatile, with lower prices indicating a drop in demand. Lead times are currently around 10-12 days.

Strong wind gusts exceeding 20 knots are forecast at the anchorage through 23 March, potentially disrupting operations until next Tuesday. These conditions may cause delays in bunker deliveries and could lead to prolonged interruptions.

In Argentina, Bahía Blanca port, a key hub for wheat exports operations, are gradually returning to normal after being severely impacted by a strong gale on 7 March.

The storm caused widespread flooding, power outages, and brought all transport to a halt in the city and port area.

The last berths to resume operations include a grain export facility at Puerto Galván, a key terminal in Bahía Blanca that handles agricultural and industrial cargo, and a urea production facility.

Both suffered significant power supply damage, leading to extended repair work.

Bunker fuel availability in the Brazilian port of Santos was very tight earlier in March, but the situation is getting better now, a source said.

Availability across all grades is good in Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, with recommended lead times of 2-3 days, another source said.

By Gautamee Hazarika

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 21 March, 2025

Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Europe & Africa Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (19 Mar 2025)

HSFO supply tightens in the ARA; severe backlog in Gibraltar; LSMGO still dry in Durban.

Published

5 days ago

March 20, 2025

Admin

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 tightens in the ARA
Severe backlog in Gibraltar
LSMGO still dry in Durban

Northwest Europe

Prompt HSFO availability is tight in Rotterdam and the wider ARA hub. Lead times for HSFO have stretched to 8-10 days from 5-7 days last week due to barge loading delays, a trader said. VLSFO is comparatively better, but remains tight for very prompt delivery dates, with recommended lead times of 5-7 days. LSMGO supply is ample, with lead times of 3-5 days as advised.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have declined by 9% so far this month compared to February, according to Insights Global data.

The region has imported 157,000 b/d of fuel oil so far this month, down from 298,000 b/d of fuel oil in February, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa.

The United Kingdom (28% of the total) has become the region’s biggest fuel oil import source, followed by Mexico (20%), Germany (16%), Poland (15%), the Bahamas (14%) and Nigeria (7%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories - which include diesel and heating oil – have averaged 9% lower so far this month. The ARA hub has imported 220,000 b/d of gasoil and diesel so far this month, registering a decline from 277,000 b/d imported in February, according to Vortexa data.

Prompt bunker supply in Germany’s Hamburg is well stocked, a trader told ENGINE. Lead times of 3-5 days for all three grades.

Mediterranean

Lead times remain consistent with last week in Gibraltar, a trader said, recommending 5-7 days for optimal coverage from suppliers. Severe congestion was reported in Gibraltar port on Tuesday due to a backlog of 24 vessels triggered by rough weather conditions in the port area, according to port agent MH Bland. Congestion has persisted on Wednesday, but the backlog has reduced slightly to 16 vessels today, MH Bland said.

In the Canary Islands’ port of Las Palmas, prompt supply is still tight, a trader said. Lead times have remained unchanged over the last few weeks with suppliers able to offer within 5-7 days.

Meanwhile, in the other Mediterranean bunker hubs like Istanbul, Piraeus and Malta Offshore, supply is ample, a trader said.

In Turkey’s Istanbul, bunkers are well stocked and recommended lead times are 3-5 days. Weather is forecast to remain calm for the rest of the week, conducive to smooth bunkering in the port area.

The Greek port of Piraeus has good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO with lead times of 3-5 days. HSFO is subject to enquiry in the port.

Off Malta, supply is good, with lead times of 3-5 days advised. Rough weather may hamper bunkering off Malta this week, a source said. Strong easterly wind gusts around 19 knots are forecast off Malta today, said MH Bland. Rough weather is also forecast on Saturday with south-easterly wind gusts of around 27 knots.

Africa

Prompt VLSFO supply is tight in the South African ports of Durban and Richards Bay, a trader told ENGINE. Lead times of 7-10 days are advised for the grade in both ports. LSMGO is still dry in Durban, the trader added.

VLSFO and LSMGO supply is good in Angola’s Luanda, a source said. Lead times of up to five days are advised for optimal coverage.

By Manjula Nair

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 20 March, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Panama bunker fuel sales up by 17.5% on year in February 2025

Total bunker sales at Panama was 415,430 metric tonnes in February 2025, compared to sales of 353,629 mt during the similar period in 2024, according to latest PMA data.

Published

6 days ago

March 19, 2025

Admin

Bunker fuel sales at Panama increased by about 17.5% in February 2025, according to the latest data from La Autoridad Maritima de Panama, also known as the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA).

Total bunker sales at Panama was 415,430 metric tonnes (mt) in February 2025, compared to sales of 353,629 mt during the similar period in 2024.

In February 2025, the Pacific side of Panama posted bunker sales of 337,620 mt; 217,165 mt of VLSFO, 90,815 mt of RMG 380, 2,187 of marine gas oil (MGO), and 27,453 mt of low sulphur marine gas oil (LSMGO) were delivered.

The similar region saw total marine sales of 272,618 mt a year before in February; with VLSFO sales at 156,053 mt, RMG 380 sales at 86,515 mt, MGO sales at 8,639 mt, and 21,411 mt of LSMGO being sold.

Panama’s Atlantic side, meanwhile, recorded total bunker fuel sales of 77,810 during February 2025; the figure comprised 47,835 mt of VLSFO, 17,138 mt of RMG 380, 4,744 mt of MGO, and 8,093 mt of LSMGO.

It saw total sales of 81,011 mt in February a year before; with VLSFO sales of 63,554 mt, RMG 380 sales of 7,636, 4,219 mt of MGO, and LSMGO sales of 5,602 mt.

Photo credit: jhernandezb05 from Pixabay
Published: 19 March, 2025