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:
25 April 2023
Singapore
Demand has been average in Singapore so far this week. Availability of VLSFO and HSFO has gotten tighter in Singapore, where stems of both grades require lead times of 9-11 days and 5-11 days, respectively. Lead times of both grades are roughly the same as last week.
LSMGO is more readily available with shorter lead times of 4-7 days – almost unchanged from last week.
Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 6% higher so far in April than across March, according to Enterprise Singapore. Net fuel oil imports to Singapore have declined by 6% this month. Both imports and exports are up this month. While imports have inched up 1%, exports have surged 16%.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s middle distillate stocks have averaged 10% lower this month than in March.
East Asia
Bunker deliveries resumed at all of Zhoushan’s four anchorages on Tuesday, after being suspended by rough weather on Monday, a source says.
VLSFO and LSMGO stems require lead times of 3-5 days in the Chinese bunkering hub – virtually unchanged from end of last week. Lead times for HSFO are slightly longer at 5-7 days recommended.
Demand is healthy in Hong Kong and VLSFO and HSFO grades are tight, a source says. Both grades need lead times of around seven days. VLSFO lead times have gone up from four days, while availability of HSFO has improved from last week, when the grade was subject to enquiry. LSMGO is readily available.
Meanwhile, availability across all bunker grades has been getting tighter across South Korean ports, with lead times varying widely between 5-10 days. Lead times have increased across both southern and western South Korean ports, from 3-7 days and 4-5 days last week, respectively.
Bad weather conditions are forecast intermittently between 26-30 April, which could trigger suspensions or disrupt deliveries in the South Korean ports of Ulsan, Onsan, Daesan, Taean and Yeosu.
Adverse weather conditions are also predicted to hamper bunker deliveries in the Kiwi port of Tauranga between 25-26 April and 30 April-1 May.
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.
Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains subject to availability in India’s Mumbai. Meanwhile, availability of grades is subject to enquiry in Tuticorin on the southeast coast and Haldia on the east coast, while a supplier in Paradip is almost out of stock for both grades.
However, rough weather may disrupt bunkering in Kandla on 26 April and in the southwestern port of Visakhapatnam on 30 April, a source says.
Middle East
Lead times of 5-6 days are recommended for VLSFO and LSMGO in Fujairah – slightly lower than 5-7 days last week. But lead times have gone up for HSFO, from 5-7 days last week to around nine days now. Demand has been picking up this week in the port, a source says.
The Omani ports of Duqm, Sohar, Salalah and Muscat have good availability of LSMGO, with prompt dates available.
By Tuhin Roy
Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 26 April, 2023
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