Business

ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Singapore stocks grow, but bunker fuel oils tighter; lead times shorten in Zhoushan; strong demand in Hong Kong.

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2023

Admin

ENGINE East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

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:

11 April 2023

Singapore stocks grow, but bunker fuel oils tighter
Lead times shorten in Zhoushan
Strong demand in Hong Kong

Singapore

Demand has been average Singapore so far this week. Availability of VLSFO and HSFO has gotten tighter in Singapore, where the earliest estimated delivery dates range between 11-13 days for VLSFO, and 3-10 days for HSFO.

LSMGO remains more readily available, with shorter earliest delivery dates of 5-7 days estimated – marginally up from 4-6 days last week.

Residual fuel oil stocks in Singapore averaged 4% higher in March than in February, according to Enterprise Singapore. The port’s fuel oil stocks managed to remain above 21 million bbls for a second consecutive month. The stocks increased on the back of a 1% rise in net fuel oil imports in March.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s middle distillate stocks swelled by 22% in March.

East Asia

Bunker deliveries resumed in Zhoushan on Tuesday morning after being suspended by rough weather on Monday, a source says. Bunkering is possible at all four anchorages in Zhoushan.

Availability of VLSFO has improved in Zhoushan, with lead times shortening from 5-8 days last week to 3-5 days now. HSFO stems require around 5-7 days – almost unchanged from last week. LSMGO remains readily available with short lead times of 3-5 days recommended.

Availability of all bunker fuel grades remains tight in Hong Kong amid strong demand, a source says. Lead times of 8-9 days are recommended across the grades – virtually unchanged from last week.

Strong wind gusts of up to 21 knots are forecast to hit Hong Kong on 15 April, which might disrupt bunkering.

Rough weather is predicted intermittently between Tuesday and Sunday in the South Korean ports of Ulsan, Onsan, Daesan, Taean and Yeosu, which could hamper delivery of stems.

Meanwhile, all grades have also been getting tighter in South Korean ports, with lead times varying widely between 3-10 days. While lead times are broadly unchanged on the week in the country’s southern ports, lead times have increased significantly in western ports, up from around four days last week.

Adverse weather conditions are forecast to hit the Kiwi port of Tauranga between 15-16 April, which could complicate deliveries.

South Asia

VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered with around 2-3 days of lead time in several Indian ports, including Kandla on the northwest coast, Cochin and Chennai on the southern coast, and Visakhapatnam on the southwestern coast.

VLSFO and LSMGO remain subject to enquiry in Mumbai, Tuticorin and Haldia, and a supplier in Paradip is almost out of VLSFO to offer.

Bad weather might disrupt bunkering in India’s west coast port of Sikka between 13-18 April, and in the southwestern port of Visakhapatnam on 19 April, a source says.

Suppliers in Kandla are working to clear bunker backlogs. The congestion in the port is expected to ease by 13 April.

Middle East

Prompt availability remains tight in Fujairah across all bunker fuel grades, with lead times of around seven days advised now – down from last week. Some suppliers can do prompt stems of all grades depending on quantity, a source says.

Meanwhile, availability across all grades remains good in the UAE port of Khorfakkan, with recommended lead times of 5-7 days – almost unchanged from last week.

Prompt dates are readily available for LSMGO in the Omani ports of Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Duqm.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 12 April, 2023

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

16 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

16 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

16 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