Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (6 May 2025)

Bunker fuel availability tight in Singapore; prompt LSMGO supply improves in Zhoushan; South Korean ports face weather disruptions.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 7, 2025

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:

Bunker fuel availability tight in Singapore
Prompt LSMGO supply improves in Zhoushan
South Korean ports face weather disruptions

Singapore and Malaysia

Bunker availability in Singapore is a bit tight, with VLSFO lead times of around 9-17 days now. HSFO lead times have increased and are at around 7-13 days. LSMGO remains readily available, with recommended lead times reduced from 6-8 days last week, to 3-10 days now.

Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks averaged 19% higher in April than across March, according to Enterprise Singapore. The fuel oil stocks grew amid a 21% surge in net fuel oil imports. Imports rose by a notable 1.04 million bbls, easily outpacing the 162,000-bbl increase in exports. In contrast, the port’s middle distillate stocks fell, averaging 12% lower in April compared to March.

VLSFO and LSMGO grades are widely available in Malaysia’s Port Klang, with prompt deliveries possible for smaller stems. In contrast, HSFO supply continues to be tight. Bad weather conditions may disrupt bunker operations in Port Klang later this week.

East Asia

In Zhoushan, VLSFO lead times remain steady at 5-7 days. LSMGO availability has improved, with lead times down to 1-3 days from last week’s 5-7. HSFO supply has also improved, with lead times shortening to 3-5 days from around eight previously.

Bunker trading activity in China remained subdued due to the Labour Day holiday period from 1-5 May.

VLSFO and LSMGO are well stocked in Dalian and Qingdao in northern China, though HSFO remains tight in Qingdao. Tianjin continues to see limited availability of VLSFO and HSFO, while LSMGO supply is steady.

In Shanghai, VLSFO and HSFO is still tight, but LSMGO is readily available. Further south, Fuzhou has ample supply of both grades, while Xiamen has good VLSFO availability but tight LSMGO. Prompt deliveries of both fuels remain challenging in Yangpu and Guangzhou, a source says.

In Hong Kong, lead times for all fuel grades continue to remain at about seven days, showing no change from recent weeks. VLSFO is very tight, another source says. Bunker operations may face some disruption in Hong Kong due to bad weather between 8-12 May.

In Taiwan, suppliers in Kaohsiung and Taichung require lead times of approximately three days for VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries. Meanwhile, Hualien and Keelung continue to have stable supplies of both grades, with unchanged lead times of around two days.

Fuel availability across all grades is extremely tight in several South Korean ports, according to a source. Lead times of around 3-8 days are expected for all grades in Busan, Ulsan, Masan, Yeosu and Onsan.

Bunker operations are also expected to face disruptions from high waves and strong winds: in Ulsan, Onsan and Busan between 9-12 May; in Daesan on Tuesday and again between 10-12 May; and in Yeosu on 9-10 May.

In Japan, prompt VLSFO supply continues to remain tight at several Japanese ports, including Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi and Mizushima.

LSMGO is generally available, but securing prompt deliveries remains challenging in Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi and Mizushima. HSFO supply is tight in most locations too, while in Oita, all fuel grades are offered subject to enquiry.

In Vietnam, rough weather may disrupt bunker deliveries in Hai Phong on 8 May and again between 10-11 May.

South Asia

VLSFO remains in tight supply in several Indian ports, including Mundra, Kandla, Mumbai, Tuticorin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Haldia, consistent with recent weeks. LSMGO availability in most Indian ports depends on the enquiry.

Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Hambantota ports have good fuel availability across all grades, with recommended lead times of around four days, unchanged from last week.

Oceania

VLSFO and LSMGO remain readily available in key Western Australian ports such as Kwinana, Fremantle and Port Kembla, where suppliers recommend lead times of around 7-8 days. In New South Wales, Sydney continues to offer good LSMGO coverage, though prompt HSFO deliveries remain tight.

Victoria’s Melbourne and Geelong ports report good availability of both VLSFO and LSMGO, but HSFO remains in short supply for immediate requirements. In Queensland, Brisbane and Gladstone are well-supplied on VLSFO and LSMGO, though HSFO is limited in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, Tauranga and Auckland hold good VLSFO supplies.

Middle East

In Fujairah, prompt bunker availability is tight, with lead times for all grades at least seven days, consistent with the previous week. Suppliers in Khor Fakkan also suggest similar lead times.

“Most of suppliers are not entertaining bigger [VLSFO] stems due to instability of the market and due to shortage of cargo,” a source says.

In Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, VLSFO supply remains limited, while LSMGO availability is adequate.

VLSFO is readily available in Iraq’s Basrah, but LSMGO seems tight. Bunker availability in Djibouti is tight, with VLSFO and HSFO stocks nearly exhausted and LSMGO levels also running low.

Suppliers in the Omani ports of Sohar, Salalah, Muscat and Duqm report tight LSMGO and VLSFO availability.

By Aparupa Mazumder

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 7 May, 2025

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Vitol launches VLSO and MGO bunker fuel deliveries by barge in West Africa

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Marine fuel supplier Vitol Bunkers on Friday (16 May) said it has started supplying bunkers by barge to the West Africa (WAF) region.

The company said it has started with initial deliveries of Very Low Sulphur Fuel (VLSFO) and Marine Gasoil (MGO) and plans to expand its offering to the full spectrum of marine fuels.

“Bunkering by barge offers flexibility of location, taking place wherever there is a need, including Dakar and offshore Lomé,” it said in a statement.

The latest expansion means that Vitol Bunkers now serves customers in locations across Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Ammar Hussaini, Vitol Bunkers, said: “Supplying bunkers by barge to the WAF market allows us to support our customers flexibly in the location and with the fuels that they need.”

Photo credit: Vitol
Published: 19 May, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Tigonic launches physical bunker fuel supply operations by barge at Khorfakkan

Move enhances Tigonic’s regional supply capabilities with barge-based delivery of VLSFO and MGO along the vital East Coast of UAE; company also supplies bunker fuel at port of Sharjah by trucks.

Published

4 days ago

May 16, 2025

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Tigonic launches physical bunker fuel supply operations by barge at Khorfakkan

Dubai-based energy trading and bunker supply firm Tigonic on Thursday (15 May) said it has launched its physical bunker supply operations at Khorfakkan, UAE by barge and has completed its first successful deliveries of bunker fuel in the past few days.

The company said the move enhances Tigonic’s regional supply capabilities with barge-based delivery of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) along the vital East Coast of the UAE.

Tigonic also supplies bunker fuel at the port of Sharjah in UAE by trucks and may expand into other ports in the region in the foreseeable future.

Tigonic’s operational expansion into physical supply with its dedicated bunker barge enables the company to deliver marine fuels directly at anchorage.

“This launch marks a significant milestone in our service evolution,” said the team at Tigonic.

“With physical supply now live at Khorfakkan, we are elevating our ability to provide fast, flexible, and reliable marine fuel solutions to the global fleet.”

This expansion follows Tigonic’s recent achievement—the successful lifting of multiple cargoes of High-Sulfur Fuel Oil (HSFO) from the SASREF refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and fuel oil of Bahrain origin for their customers in the Singapore Straits.

Photo credit: Tigonic
Published: 16 May, 2025

Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (15 May 2025)

HSFO supply tight in Houston and Balboa; Los Angeles import volumes set to recover; Panama Canal drought threat persists.

Published

4 days ago

May 16, 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:

HSFO supply tight in Houston and Balboa
Los Angeles import volumes set to recover
Panama Canal drought threat persists

North America

Bunker demand in Houston has been slow at the start of May. VLSFO and LSMGO are available for prompt delivery with recommended lead times of 5-7 days.

HSFO availability is currently tight in the port and requires lead times of at least a week.

Bunker operations were suspended in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) on Wednesday, with deliveries being conducted on a first come, first serve basis.

“Delays are expected until tomorrow. Supply ships will deliver when conditions allow, but deliveries stop if seas rise above 5 feet,” a source about GOLA.

In New York, fuel availability across all grades remains okay. Suppliers recommend lead times of 3-5 days, down from last week’s 5-7 days. Possible disruptions from high winds are expected in the port between 17-19 May, which can delay bunker barge operations.

Bunker One has introduced three additional fuel grades in New York: B30-HSFO and B30-LSMGO biofuel blends and pure HSFO. The B30 blends contain 30% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuels blended with HSFO or LSMGO. The fuels will be sold on ISO 8217:2017 specifications and are ISCC EU-certified.

On the West Coast, fuel availability remains good, with suppliers recommending lead times of less than a week.

Incoming shipping traffic has picked up slightly, but it can vary from day to day, a source said.

“Following the pause, there was a slight pickup in East Coast volumes, but the West Coast hasn’t been the busiest, but safe to say remains steady,” a trader noted.

The Port of Los Angeles, which has experienced a slump in incoming container shipments over the past month, is expected to recover following the 90-day tariff pause between the US and China.

According to Port Optimizer, import volumes in Los Angeles are projected to rise to 103,000 TEUs next week, up from 85,000 TEUs this week, with 22 vessels scheduled to call. This would make a 22% increase week-on-week, and a 57% bump compared to the same period last year.

Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, said, “The new tariffs will affect around $18 billion in annual imports, …but if China responds in the same way as 2018 then we could be at the start of another spiral of escalating tariffs. That will mean yet more pain for shippers and ocean freight service providers to deal with.”

Montreal is bracing for possible disruptions from high wind gusts between 17-19 May. There is already a bunker backlog in the port and barge operations are limited to daylight hours.

Caribbean and Latin America

In Panama, availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is good and recommended lead times are around 5–6 days. HSFO is tight in Balboa and requires a longer lead time.

“Demand in the market overall remains quiet and priority is given to vessels with confirmed transit schedules through the Panama Canal,” a source said.

Panama’s bunker fuel sales fell to seven-month lows in April, with total sales dropping to 459,000 mt – down 40,000 mt from March. VLSFO and HSFO sales declined by 11% and 2%, respectively, while LSMGO sales rose by a minimal amount.

Xeneta’s Peter Sand highlighted major events affecting the container shipping market, including the conflict in the Red Sea and drought conditions in the Panama Canal.

In 2023, the Panama Canal experienced its worst drought in over a century, driven by a combination of a strong El Niño effect and climate change. Officials warn that without long-term solutions like the planned Rio Indio reservoir, the canal remains vulnerable to future droughts and climate pressures.

Freeport in the Bahamas is experiencing stable weather. Deliveries at the anchorage continue with cruise ships being given priority.

St. Eustatius and Trinidad are also operating under normal conditions, with no major weather disruptions, and bunker deliveries are proceeding as usual.

In Zona Comun, high wind gusts are expected over the weekend, which may trigger a bunker delivery suspension if winds exceed 20 knots. VLSFO remains tight availability at the anchorage, with recommended lead times of 12–14 days.

Low reservoir levels in Brazil and Argentina, along with weak river inflows, are keeping conditions dry in the Paraguay river, whose water levels are lower than usual for this time of year.

“Rainfall has been intense in spots but highly erratic – no sub-basin has seen a stable or normal pattern,” Antares Ship Agents noted. This is affecting all upriver ports along the Paraná River, including San Lorenzo, Rosario, Arroyo Seco, Villa Constitución, San Nicolás, Ramallo and San Pedro.

“Bunkering isn’t affected for now, since it takes place in Zona Común, which is in the tidal area where the draft is stable and things are quiet now,” a local supplier said.

By Gautamee Hazarika

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 16 May 2025