Business

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

HSFO tight in Fujairah and Singapore; Singapore-flagged ships incentivised to use low carbon fuels; strong demand tightens supply of all grades in Hong Kong

Published

4 years ago

April 27, 2022

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:

26 April 2022

HSFO tight in Fujairah and Singapore
Singapore-flagged ships incentivised to use low carbon fuels
Strong demand tightens supply of all grades in Hong Kong

Singapore

HSFO380 remains “super tight” in Singapore with recommended lead times of 20-21 days. VLSFO is also tight with around 11-13 days of lead time recommended, while LSMGO is more readily available with 5-6 days of recommended lead time.

HSFO380 availability is expected to remain tight in Singapore as some suppliers are hesitant to offer after a major organic chloride contamination incident. Buyers are requesting more elaborate fuel screening to detect chlorides, sources say.

Singapore’s HSFO380 delivered price premium over ex-wharf has widened substantially from last month, likely driven by contamination concerns and tighter availability, a source said.

Meanwhile, the port’s residual fuel oil stocks swelled to five-week highs last week, and its middle distillate stocks to five-month highs, according to Enterprise Singapore.

According to forward-looking cargo tracking data from Vortexa, Singapore is set to increase its share of HSFO imports from Venezuela, Bahrain, Mexico, Russia and South Korea in the last week of April and through May, compared to the year to date.

This could make up for dwindling HSFO imports from the US, Netherlands, Greece and Turkey. Fujairah is still Singapore’s biggest source of HSFO imports.

The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced that under its Green Ship Programme it will offer discounted registration fees and tax rebates to Singapore-flagged ships that have lower emissions and use cleaner fuels from next month.

East Asia

Bunker demand in Hong Kong remains robust, sources say. VLSFO and LSMGO supply has tightened some, mainly because of busy barge schedules which make lead times more unpredictable.

HSFO380 continues to be tight in Hong Kong as the grade is available with only some suppliers. Demand for the grade has spiked in the past weeks as Singapore struggles with contamination issues.

Availability is slightly tight in South Korean ports. Recommended lead times for VLSFO and LSMGO grades are 5-7 days, sources say. Demand remains roughly steady.

Bunker operations were suspended by bad weather in Zhoushan on Monday and Tuesday, sources say. Some suppliers can offer limited prompt volumes of VLSFO and LSMGO, while HSFO380 supply is tighter.

A supplier in Port Klang can offer limited volumes of VLSFO and LSMGO for prompt deliveries, sources say.

South Asia

In Colombo, prompt availability of VLSFO and LSMGO are more difficult to find now due to tight barge schedules, sources say. HSFO380 is tight with little volume to sell.

Bunker fuel availability remains normal at India’s Mumbai port. Some suppliers can offer prompt deliveries for VLSFO and LSMGO, sources say. In Mundra, HSFO380 and VLSFO availability is normal and recommended lead times are around 6-7 days, while LSMGO is said to be unavailable, sources say.

Availability in Visakhapatnam is normal for VLSFO and LSMGO, a supplier can offer prompt deliveries.

In Chittagong, availability is tight for VLSFO and LSMGO. A supplier can offer limited deliveries for VLSFO.

Middle East

HSFO380 remains “super tight” in Fujairah with recommended lead times of 12 days. A shorter 6-7 days is recommended for LSMGO and five days for VLSFO.

With strong bunker demand in Fujairah, suppliers have generally been keener to offer VLSFO and LSMGO stems above certain quantities, a source said.

Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains normal in the Omani ports of Duqm and Sohar, sources say.

In Port of Suez, availability is tight across all grades, sources say.

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 27 April, 2022

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

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

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

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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