Business

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

VLSFO and HSFO availability remains tight in Singapore; South Korean and Chinese ports recover from typhoon disruptions; availability steady for all grades in Hong Kong.

Published

4 years ago

September 7, 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:

6 September 2022

VLSFO and HSFO availability remains tight in Singapore
South Korean and Chinese ports recover from typhoon disruptions
Availability steady for all grades in Hong Kong

Singapore

Fuel oil grades are in tight availability in Singapore, while gasoil is more readily available. Lead times for VLSFO are 11-13 days and 9-13 days for HSFO. LSMGO has a much shorter lead time of 3-5 days.

Singapore’s residual fuel oil inventories increased by 7% in the week ending 31 August, but averaged 3% lower in over the whole of August than in July, according to Enterprise Singapore.

The port’s fuel oil inventories fell to record lows in early August before growing gradually with support from a greater net import surplus later in the month. Imports averaged 14% higher than in July, while exports averaged 9% lower.

East Asia

Bunker suppliers in Zhoushan stopped supplying last Friday, when super typhoon Hinnamnor brought rough weather to the region. Bunker operations continued to be suspended at Zhoushan’s outer port limit (OPL) on Tuesday amid heavy swells, but could resume by Wednesday, according to White Whale Shipping Agency.

While bunkering has been capped by the recent weather disruptions in Zhoushan, there is almost no backlog of vessels in the port, a source says. VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains steady with lead time of two days. Availability of HSFO can still be tight with lead times of 4-8 days, sources say.

Bunkering remained suspended across South Korean ports on Tuesday and is only expected to resume on Thursday, sources say. Typhoon Hinnamnor made landfall in Geoje on South Korea’s southern coast on Monday, before continuing north over Busan and Ulsan.

South Korea’s southern ports were right in Hinnamnor’s path and took harder hits than the country’s western ports. Disrupted bunker schedules has pushed back recommended lead times for all grades to around two weeks with suppliers in southern ports. Lead times are 9-13 days for in western ports.

Availability of VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO remains steady in Hong Kong with lead times of around four days.

South Asia

Availability of VLSFO remains good across the Indian ports of Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai and Kandla with lead times of 2-3 days recommended.

A longer six days of lead time is recommended for VLSFO and HSFO in Mundra. Visakhapatnam is almost out of VLSFO. A supplier expects replenishment stocks to arrive next week.

Colombo’s VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains slightly tight. A supplier has good supply of VLSFO and LSMGO in Colombo and Trincomalee, and anticipates a replenishment cargo of VLSFO to arrive in the coming weeks.

Middle East

Availability of HSFO and LSMGO remains slightly tight for prompt dates in Fujairah. Recommended lead times are around seven days for VLSFO and LSMGO and nine days for HSFO. Some suppliers can offer VLSFO for prompter dates, a trader says.

By Tuhin Roy and Nithin Chandran

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 7 September, 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

22 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

22 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

22 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