Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: East of Suez Fuel Availability Outlook (11 August 2026)

Availability is tight across grades in Singapore; Zhoushan anchorages remain suspended since Thursday due to Typhoon Dolphin; bunker demand picks up in several South Korean ports.

Published

1 day ago

August 12, 2026

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:

Availability is tight across grades in Singapore
Zhoushan anchorages remain suspended since Thursday due to Typhoon Dolphin
Bunker demand picks up in several South Korean ports

Singapore and Malaysia

VLSFO availability in Singapore remains tight, with suppliers now recommending lead times of 12–21 days, compared with 12–24 days last week. Supply continues to face pressure as the port’s fuel oil inventories have yet to recover to pre-conflict levels, while cargo inflows remain disrupted by fragile US-Iran peace talks, which continue to affect traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Enterprise Singapore data shows that Singapore’s fuel oil inventories fell from more than 23 million bbls in March, to below 18 million bbls in June. Although stocks recovered slightly to about 19 million bbls in July, they remain below 20 million bbls.

Several suppliers in Singapore are also grappling with tight delivery schedules, further contributing to the grade’s limited availability.

HSFO availability remains tight, with recommended lead times of 12–21 days, compared with 10–24 days a week earlier. LSMGO lead times have also increased to 4–12 days, from 2–11 days last week.

In Malaysia’s Port Klang, bunker fuel supply remains constrained. Prompt VLSFO availability is tight. LSMGO supply is limited, and HSFO continues to face supply pressure.

East Asia

VLSFO availability in Zhoushan remains under pressure, despite muted bunker demand. Suppliers are now recommending lead times of around 11 days, almost unchanged from last week. Lead times for both LSMGO and HSFO have also increased to about 11 days, from around 10 days previously.

The tighter availability is primarily due to the prolonged suspension of bunkering operations in Zhoushan following Typhoon Dolphin. Bunkering at the port’s outer and inner anchorages has been suspended since Thursday because of adverse weather conditions brought by the typhoon, according to a source.

Typhoon Dolphin weakened after making two landfalls along the coast of Zhejiang province on Sunday, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre (NMC). It moved deeper inland to the central Chinese province of Hubei on Tuesday.

However, suppliers remain uncertain about when bunkering operations in Zhoushan will fully resume, the source added.

Across northern China, bunker fuel supply conditions continue to differ by port. Dalian and Qingdao have adequate VLSFO and LSMGO availability, although HSFO remains tight in Qingdao. Supply of all three major bunker grades is constrained in Tianjin, while Shanghai continues to face limited VLSFO and HSFO availability. LSMGO supply in Shanghai remains relatively steady.

Supply pressures persist across southern China as well. Fuzhou continues to see tight availability of both VLSFO and LSMGO. Xiamen has sufficient VLSFO supply, but prompt LSMGO stems remain harder to secure. Both VLSFO and LSMGO availability are also constrained in Yangpu and Guangzhou.

Hong Kong’s bunker market remains largely unchanged, with suppliers continuing to recommend lead times of around seven days for all major fuel grades.

In Taiwan, VLSFO and LSMGO can be supplied within around two days at Hualien and Keelung, while deliveries at Kaohsiung and Taichung require around three days.

Availability in Keelung has also been affected by vessel maintenance issues. One bunker barge suffered a major technical failure, while another was undergoing dry dock maintenance. A bunker barge from Taichung has since been temporarily deployed to support operations and reduce waiting times. The damaged barge is expected to return to service later this week, according to a Taiwan-based trader.

South Korea’s southern ports, including Busan, Ulsan, Masan, Onsan, Yeosu and Kwangyang, have seen bunker availability improve despite demand seeing an uptick. Recommended lead times for VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO stand at 4-6 days, from 3-7 days last week.

The same pattern is evident at the country’s western ports—Incheon, Daesan, Dangjin, Pyeongtaek and Taean—where lead times for all three fuel grades stand at 4-6 days, from 3-7 days a week ago.

Potential weather-related disruptions could impact Busan, Ulsan and Yeosu between 11-13 August, and Daesan during 11-12 and 15-16 August.

Supply conditions are tightening significantly across Japan. For VLSFO and HSFO, all refiners have implemented ex-wharf restrictions leading to a nationwide supply crunch.

Tight supply conditions continue across Japan’s major bunkering hubs, including Tokyo, Chiba, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, Osaka, Kobe, Mizushima and Oita, where only a limited number of suppliers are offering VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO. Kashima is also experiencing constrained availability of VLSFO and HSFO.

In Tokyo, Chiba and Kawasaki, earliest VLSFO and HSFO delivery requires 10-11 days.

Oceania

VLSFO availability remains stable across Western Australia, with suppliers in Kwinana and Fremantle continuing to recommend lead times of around seven days. Both ports depend on a single supplier, and all bunker deliveries are carried out by barge.

Supply conditions are more mixed along Australia’s east coast. In Port Kembla, VLSFO can be supplied by either truck or pipeline, while suppliers in Sydney maintain adequate stocks of both VLSFO and LSMGO. HSFO availability is relatively tighter in Sydney, with suppliers generally advising lead times of about seven days.

In Queensland, VLSFO and LSMGO remain readily available in Brisbane and Gladstone, where lead times continue to hover around one week.

Further south, Melbourne and Geelong also have comfortable VLSFO inventories. However, both ports rely on a single bunker barge, keeping recommended lead times at approximately seven days. HSFO supply has tightened further in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Meanwhile, one supplier is offering all major bunker grades in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne with lead times of roughly five days.

In Western Australia, pipeline-based bunker deliveries to Dampier Cargo Wharf (DCW) remain suspended until around the end of September due to ongoing repair work. Limited truck-based deliveries are still possible, subject to vessel size. During the disruption, the supplier has designated the Toll Supply Base (TSB) in Dampier as the preferred location for bunker operations, according to a source.

Across the Tasman, bunker fuel availability in New Zealand is broadly unchanged. VLSFO remains readily available in Tauranga and Auckland, with suppliers recommending lead times of about four days. At Marsden Point, both VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered directly to vessels via pipeline.

Weather continues to pose the biggest operational risk in New Zealand. Bunker deliveries in Wellington and ports across the South Island remain particularly susceptible to delays during periods of adverse weather.

South Asia

VLSFO and HSFO availability is tight in India’s Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Gangavaram, Krishnapatnam, Paradip, Haldia, Chennai, Tuticorin and New Mangalore. A supplier in Cochin can offer both VLSFO and LSMGO on firm enquiry, a source said.

Adverse weather is set to disrupt bunker operations at several Indian ports over the coming days. Sikka is forecast to experience operational disruptions between 12-15 August, while Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Cochin from 11-15 August.

In Sri Lanka, bunker availability remains tight at both Colombo and Hambantota, with at least one supplier advising lead times of around 10 days, almost unchanged from last week.

Weather conditions are also expected to intermittently disrupt bunker operations in Colombo between 11-15 August and Trincomalee between 11-14 August, increasing the risk of delays to bunker deliveries.

Middle East

Renewed tensions between the US and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz have continued to strain bunker fuel supply in Fujairah. Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO remains tight, largely unchanged from last week, with only a limited number of suppliers able to offer LSMGO. HSFO supply also remains tight.

Supply conditions are more comfortable at the nearby UAE hub of Khor Fakkan, where both VLSFO and HSFO remain readily available. Demand for bunkers has nevertheless picked up at both Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, despite the latest regional escalation, a Middle East-based source said.

Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, VLSFO and LSMGO supply remains steady, despite stronger demand. However, rough weather could interrupt bunker operations in Jeddah between 11-12 and on 15 August, and in Yanbu between 11-15 August.

Bunker availability remains constrained at Qatar’s Ras Laffan, where both VLSFO and LSMGO supplies are still limited.

“Middle Eastern ports remain generally operational, with LSMGO available across Oman… subject to port, quantity, vessel schedule and supplier confirmation,” an Oman-based trader said.

Across Oman’s key ports—including Salalah, Muscat, Duqm and Sohar—LSMGO availability remains stable, with recommended lead times of 2–3 days depending on the port and nomination. High waves forecast in Salalah between 11-15 August could, however, temporarily disrupt bunkering operations, according to a source.

Egyptian ports remain fully operational, but bunker inventories at Port Suez are critically low across all three conventional fuel grades.

Further south, availability of all major bunker fuel grades also remains limited in Djibouti.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 12 August, 2026

Up Next

Fratelli Cosulich marine energy unit records EUR 7.1 million net profit in 2025

Don't Miss

NW Corporation expands Malaysia bunkering fleet with acquisition of “BELLAA 1”

Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Europe & Africa Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (12 August 2026)

Prompt availability tight in the Gibraltar Strait; barge availability issues in Piraeus; 4-5 days of lead time required in Luanda.

Published

6 hours ago

August 13, 2026

Admin

The following article regarding Europe and Africa bunker fuel availability has been provided by online marine fuel procurement platform ENGINE for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Prompt availability tight in the Gibraltar Strait
Barge availability issues in Piraeus
4-5 days of lead time required in Luanda

Northwest Europe

Bunker fuel availability is tight for prompt supplies in the ARA, with buyers advised lead times of 5-7 days to get good coverage from suppliers, a trader said.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 10% higher so far in August compared to July, according to Insights Global data.

The ARA hub imported 457,000 b/d of fuel oil in the first week of August, a sharp increase from July’s monthly average of 159,000 b/d, according to Vortexa cargo data. Benin (35%) was the biggest import source, followed by Venezuela (19%) and Colombia (17%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – dropped by 9% in the first week of August, compared to July, according to the Insights Global data. The gasoil inventories fell to their lowest level in just over four years.

The region has imported 228,000 b/d of gasoil this month, a considerable rise from 119,000 b/d imported across June, according to Vortexa data. The majority of volumes arrived from the US (23%), Sweden (21%) and France (10%).

Bunker availability is normal in Germany’s Hamburg, and supply of any fuel grade can be secured within five days, a trader told ENGINE.

Availability is tight off Denmark’s Skaw and in Sweden’s Gothenburg, with buyers recommended lead times of 10 days for any fuel grade, according to a trader.

Mediterranean

Availability is tight in Gibraltar Strait ports, with buyers recommended lead times of around 7-10 days to get competitive offers from a wide selection of suppliers, a trader said.

Buyers looking to bunker in Barcelona are advised to book a week ahead of delivery, a trader said.

In Las Palmas, fuel availability is tight for prompt supplies, and buyers are advised lead times of 10-12 days for HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries, a trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO fuel availability is tight off Malta, with buyers recommended seven days of lead time, a trader said. ULSFO supply requires about six days of notice, while LSMGO is available with a more prompt lead time of 2-5 days.

Prompt fuel availability is tight in Greece’s Piraeus. Buyers looking for HSFO, VLSFO, LSMGO and ULSFO supplies are advised to book with a lead time of around 5-7 days, a trader said. Suppliers are facing tight barge availability in the port, a source told ENGINE.

Fuel availability is good in Türkiye’s Istanbul, a local supplier said. Buyers looking to bunker in the port are recommended a notice of four days for VLSFO and 1-3 days for LSMGO and ULSFO supplies, a trader said.

Africa

HSFO availability is tight in most African ports, with suppliers reporting very limited availability.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight for prompt delivery dates in Lome and off Walvis Bay, a trader said. Buyers are advised to book deliveries at least seven days in advance, the trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO deliveries at the Lagos anchorage require 5-7 days’ notice, a local supplier told ENGINE.

In Angola’s Luanda, buyers are advised to book VLSFO and LSMGO supplies with a lead time of 4-5 days, a supplier said.

Prompt VLSFO availability is tight off Algoa Bay, with buyers advised at least 5-7 days’ notice, a trader said.

Bunker availability is tight in Port Louis, with suppliers quoting their earliest delivery dates 10-14 days out for VLSFO and LSMGO, a trader said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 13 August, 2026

Bunker Fuel

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (July 2026)

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales dropped in July, as typhoons hindered port operation in East and South China and bonded bunker fuel supply tightened in northern ports.

Published

1 day ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (July 2026)

Beijing-based commodity market information provider JLC Network Technology Co. recently shared its JLC China Bunker monthly report for July 2026 with Manifold Times through an exclusive arrangement:

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales drop in July

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales dropped in July, as typhoons hindered port operation in East and South China and bonded bunker fuel supply tightened in northern ports. Meanwhile, some shipowners became more cautious about bunkering when geopolitical tensions persisted.

China sold about 1.78 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in the month, with the daily sales at 57,503 mt, down by 10.12% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Regarding the sales by supplier, the sales by Chimbusco, Sinopec (Zhoushan), SinoBunker, and China Changjiang Bunker (Sinopec) respectively settled at 380,000 mt, 600,000 mt, 60,000 mt, and 10,000 mt in the month, while those by suppliers with regional bunkering licenses settled at 732,600 mt.

China’s LSFO output retreats in July

China’s low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) output retreated in July , as refineries lacked production enthusiasm when their margins weakened.

Chinese refiners produced about 1.29 million mt of LSFO in the month, with the daily output at 41,613 mt, down by 4.48% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Specifically, Sinopec witnessed an obvious decline in its output. ZhongKe (Guangdong) Refinery & Petrochemical lowered its output amid unit maintenance. Qingdao Petrochemical also cut its output, but it was still high. By contrast, Shengli Petrochemical boosted its production.

Meanwhile, CNOOC’s LSFO output slid in July , with T aizhou Petrochemical suspending production.

Zhoushan Petrochemical and Huizhou Refinery maintained stable production, while Zhongjie Petrochemical did not produce any LSFO in the month.

On the other hand, PetroChina recorded an increase in its LSFO output, with Dalian WEPEC, Jinzhou Petrochemical, Jinxi Petrochemical, Huabei (North China) Petrochemical, and Dagang Petrochemical raising output.

ZPC and Sinochem did not produce any LSFO in the month, but the latter produced and exported 10,000 mt of MGO.

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 1.36.44 PM

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.02.30 PM

Domestic-trade bunker fuel demand shrinks in July

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand shrank in July when inland and coastal shipping was seasonally weak.

The demand settled at 300,000 mt in July, with the daily demand at 9,677 mt, slipping by 6.35% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Shipowners just made deals for rigid demand, with a strong wait-and-see attitude and no intention of stockpiling.

Meanwhile, domestic-trade light bunker fuel demand settled at 140,000 mt in the month, with the daily volume at 4,516 mt, down by 9.68% month on month, the data shows. The decline was mainly due to the bad impact of continuous typhoons.

Bunker Fuel Supply

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports rebound in June

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports rebounded in June, after hitting a 16-month low in the previous month.

The country imported 515,300 mt of bonded bunker fuel in the month, soaring by 86.77% month on month, calculations show, based on data from the General Administration of Customs of PRC (GACC).

Bonded bunker suppliers boosted their purchases of imported high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) as premiums retreated amid easing conflicts between the U.S. and Iran. Meanwhile, downstream HSFO bunkering demand was relatively good, which also aroused suppliers’ import interest.

The arrivals of imported marine gas oil (MGO) also increased in June.

However, these bunker suppliers did not import any LSFO in the month, given sufficient domestic supply.

On a year-on-year comparison, China’s bonded bunker fuel imports declined by 5.50% in June.

Regarding the imports by source, Russia was still the largest supplier with 305,300 mt, accounting for 59.24% of China’s total imports. South Korea climbed to the second place with 120,700 mt, accounting for 23.43%, while Malaysia slipped to the third place with 89,300 mt, accounting for 17.33%.

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports totaled 3.38 million mt in the first half of this year, an increase of 5.54% from the same period of time in 2025, calculations also indicate.

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.02.45 PM

Domestic-trade bunker fuel supply tightens further in July

Chinese blenders supplied 270,000 mt of domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel in July , with the daily supply at 8,710 mt, a decline of 9.90% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Low-sulfur residual oil supply continued to tighten despite restarts of some refineries, which forced blenders to cut their bunker fuel production. Meanwhile, supply of consumption-tax-included bunker fuel decreased with tax inspections becoming regular.

In the meantime, domestic-trade MGO supply settled at 170,000 mt, with the daily supply at 5,484 mt, down by 8.60% from a month earlier, the data shows.

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.02.57 PM Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 1.36.44 PM Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.03.15 PM

Bunker Prices, Profits

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.03.28 PM

Screenshot 2026 08 12 at 2.03.41 PM

Editor
Yvette Luo
+86-020-38834382
[email protected]

Sales (Beijing)
Tony Tang
+86-10-84428863
[email protected]

Sales (Singapore)
Ginny Teo
+65-31571254
[email protected]
[email protected]

JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd is recognised as the leading information provider in China. We specialise in providing the transparent, high-value, authoritative market intelligence and professional analysis in commodity market. Our expertise covers oil, gas, coal, chemical, plastic, rubber, fertilizer and metal industry, etc.

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report is published by JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd every month on China bunker market, demand, supply, margin, freight index, forecast and so on. The report provides full-scale & concise insight into China bunker oil market.

Note: China-based commodity market information provider JLC Technology has been providing Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times China bunker volume data since 2020. Data from earlier periods are available here.

Photo credit: JLC Network Technology
Published: 12 August, 2026

Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: Flat pooling leaves fuel economics largely unchanged

Rotterdam B100 discount to LSMGO widens by $36/mt; Singapore B100 back to premium over LSMGO; biofuel blending fears mostly overstated – Prima.

Published

2 days ago

August 11, 2026

Admin

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

10 August 2026

Rotterdam B100 discount to LSMGO widens by $36/mt
Singapore B100 back to premium over LSMGO
Biofuel blending fears mostly overstated – Prima

Rotterdam’s B100 price has edged $7/mt lower and its liquefied biomethane (LBM) price has dropped $1-2/mt over the past week.

With the OceanScore FuelEU pooling index unchanged, the EU compliance-adjusted benchmarks have been weighed down by a $1/mt rise in B100’s pooling value, driven by a firmer euro.

B100’s premium over VLSFO has widened by $6/mt to $47/mt.

6a79e41970f7c1b350cde6e1 6da62a94 c0ca 4499 9d54 783b407a0318 1200w

LBM’s discounts to VLSFO in Rotterdam have narrowed by $11-12/mt. Its discounts to LSMGO have widened by $30-31/mt over the same period.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s HSFO and LSMGO prices have gained $18-29/mt, while its VLSFO price has declined by $12/mt over the past week.

B100’s discount to LSMGO in Rotterdam has widened by $36/mt to $453/mt.

Singapore’s VLSFO and HSFO prices have gained $31/mt and $41/mt, respectively, while its LSMGO benchmark has declined by $14/mt.

The port’s B100 price has edged $2/mt higher, flipping back to a $10/mt premium over LSMGO from a $6/mt discount the previous week. Meanwhile, its premium over VLSFO has narrowed by $29/mt to $260/mt.

The Dutch ZRE A price has remained unchanged over the past week. Prima Markets said no market participants were able to confirm any ZRE A trading activity during the week, reflecting illiquidity in the market.

One market participant told Prima that concerns over insufficient biofuel blending to meet this year’s Dutch maritime quota were “likely exaggerated”.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have gained $9-10/mt, depending on engine type. LNG’s premiums over LBM have widened by $10/mt to $301-308/mt over the past week.

Singapore’s LNG prices have declined by $24-25/mt over the same period.

By Konica Bhatt

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 11 August, 2026