Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Europe & Africa Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (18 Oct 2023)

HSFO availability is tight in Singapore; VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in several Chinese ports; bunker demand is good in Fujairah.

Published

2 years ago

October 19, 2023

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:

HSFO availability is tight in Singapore
VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in several Chinese ports
Bunker demand is good in Fujairah

Singapore

A source says Singapore has been witnessing “average” demand so far this week. Several suppliers are recommending lead times of 8-10 days for VLSFO – almost unchanged from last week.

HSFO availability has tightened in the port, with lead times going up from 7-9 days last week to 10-12 days now. Lead times of LSMGO remain virtually unchanged at 3-7 days.

Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 11% lower so far in October than across September, according to Enterprise Singapore. The port’s net fuel oil imports have dipped by 1% so far this month. Meanwhile, both imports and exports are up this month. The port’s fuel imports have increased by 20%. Fuel oil exports have jumped 77% and to their highest level since January this year.

The Southeast Asian bunker hub’s middle distillate stocks, on the other hand, have averaged 4% higher so far this month than in September.

China, East Asia and Oceania

Some suppliers have almost run out of HSFO stocks in Zhoushan, but low demand for the grade has somewhat prevented the tightness from becoming too severe, a source says. Lead times of 3-5 days are recommended for the grade. VLSFO and LSMGO remain in good availability in the port, with suppliers advising very short lead times of 2-5 days – almost unchanged from last week.

Both grades remain in ample supply in the northern Chinese port of Dalian. The nearby port of Tianjin has good availability of VLSFO, but LSMGO and HSFO remain under pressure, and deliveries are subject to enquiry. Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains tight in the other northern Chinese port of Qingdao, while HSFO is subject to enquiry.

VLSFO and LSMGO prompt supply remains tight in the southern Chinese ports of Shanghai and Xiamen as well. HSFO supply has been under pressure in Shanghai as it has been in recent weeks.

Both VLSFO and LSMGO remain in tight availability in the southeastern port of Fuzhou, with deliveries subject to enquiry. On the other hand, the availability of both grades remains good in the ports of Guangzhou and Yangpu.

All grades remain in good availability in Hong Kong, as it has been in recent weeks. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for all bunker fuel grades in the port.

Strong wind gusts of 24-28 knots and swells of close to a metre are predicted to hit Hong Kong on Wednesday and Thursday, which might hamper bunker deliveries.

The South Korean ports of Ulsan, Onsan, Busan, Daesan, Taean and Yeosu face possible disruptions from strong winds and high waves from Friday to Sunday.

VLSFO availability has become tighter in South Korean ports, a source says. This is primarily due to a decrease in VLSFO imports and some suppliers selling out most of their stocks at the beginning of the month. As a result, most suppliers are running low on stocks, the source adds.

Lead times of VLSFO vary widely between 3-12 days – almost doubling from 4-6 days last week. LSMGO and HSFO lead times also vary widely between 3-12 days in South Korean ports.

Adverse weather conditions are predicted in the Vietnamese port of Hai Phong between 20-21 Oct, and the Kiwi port of Tauranga on Tuesday, which might impact bunkering operations at these ports.

South Asia

VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains good in Kandla on the northwest coast of India and Cochin on the southern coast, with a short lead time of 2-3 days recommended.

However, both grades remain very tight in the Indian ports of Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Haldia and Paradip, with delivery dates mostly subject to availability, a source says. On the other hand, bunker deliveries remain subject to enquiry Tuticorin on the southeast coast.

Middle East

Prompt availability across all grades remains tight in Fujairah. Most suppliers recommend lead times of around 5-7 days. Some can still offer prompt dates depending on stem sizes, a source says.

Availability of all grades remains good in the other UAE port of Khor Fakkan, with lead times of 5-7 days.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 19 October, 2023

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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (24 Apr 2025)

Decline in vessels and imports in Los Angeles; demand remains weak in Panama; fuel availability in Brazil is steady.

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 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:

Decline in vessels and imports in Los Angeles
Demand remains weak in Panama
Fuel availability in Brazil is steady

North America

Houston is currently seeing strong demand, and both HSFO and VLSFO are readily available, with suppliers recommending lead times of around seven days. However, LSMGO supply remains tight through the end of the month, with lead times extending to 7-10 days.

Operations in the port are running smoothly, with occasional fog in the nights and early mornings.

"The weather has been favorable recently with no major disruptions," a source noted.

Demand has slightly decreased compared to last week across North America, but bookings are still being secured. Overall, market conditions remain steady, with no significant fluctuations in supply or demand.

In New York, bunker demand for HSFO remains strong with good supply, while VLSFO demand has been more subdued.

Lead times range from 3–5 days for VLSFO and LSMGO, while HSFO requires longer wait times.

Strong wind gusts are forecast until the end of the week, which could potentially disrupt barge deliveries at the anchorage, though no significant backlogs have been reported so far.

On the West Coast, the port of Los Angeles is experiencing a decline in demand, while bunker fuel availability remains stable, with lead times typically under a week.

Vessel arrivals and import volumes at the port have dropped, partly due to escalating US-China trade tensions. Hapag-Lloyd, for instance, has canceled 30% of its shipments from China, leading to a shift in shipping demand toward Southeast Asia.

Additionally, the port noted a 64% drop in new bookings for shipments from China to the US in early April, according to the Port of Los Angeles. This highlights the reassessment of costs and strategies by shippers amid the changing trade landscape.

Caribbean and Latin America

In Panama, the market has been quiet over the past few days across the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, with demand reported to be lower. Bunker fuel availability in the region remains good, with recommended lead times of less than a week.

In Argentina, supply is tight in Zona Comun with recommended lead times of 10-12 days.

The port is experiencing increased congestion recently, primarily because barges of two of its suppliers, Minerva and Raizen, are currently undergoing dry dock maintenance.

“As a result, bunker fuel deliveries in the area are now being handled solely by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, an Argentine oil and gas company, and World Fuel Services, a fuel services provider”, a source said.

Draft conditions in Argentina remain unstable, mainly due to changing winds around the estuary River Plate. Draft conditions refer to the depth of water needed for a ship to safely navigate without hitting the bottom.

These shifts are common when water levels are low and are likely to continue for now, a source said.

This means ships may need to reduce cargo loads or wait for safer sailing conditions.

Fuel availability in Brazil has been steady, with recommended lead times of 5-7 days.

Santos is experiencing some congestion, which is expected to persist for the next five days, but this is a normal occurrence for the region, a source said.

All fuel grades are currently available for prompt delivery across the Columbian ports of Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, with a recommended lead time of 2-3 days.

By Gautamee Hazarika

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 25 April, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (24 April 2025)

Bunker report panellists include Island Oil Limited, Cockett Marine Oil Pte, Monjasa A/S and KPI OceanConnect, NSI Marine and Transparensea Fuels.

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Admin

Baltic Exchange: Bunker Report (24 April 2025)

The following bunker report has been provided by freight market information provider Baltic Exchange for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Note:

All values are in US$/metric ton, all-in (invoice price), delivered on board
Delivery in 7-10 days
ISO 8217:2010
IFO 380 3.5% Sulphur
IFO 380 0.5% Sulphur
DMA 0.1% Sulphur

Fujairah – Offshore Anchorage Area
Gibraltar – Anchorage area
Houston – Houston Harbor
Panama – (Pacific) dangerous cargo area, Balboa
Rotterdam – Waalhaven – Maasvlakte range
Singapore – Anchorage, under SBA Scheme
Zhoushan – Southern anchorage area

Submitted weekly at Close of Business UK time Daily

Panellists:
Cockett Marine Oil Pte, Island Oil Limited, KPI OceanConnect, Monjasa A/S, NSI Marine and Transparensea Fuels

Photo credit and source: Baltic Exchange
Published: 25 April, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Port of Rotterdam publishes bunker fuel sales data for Q1 2025

Port data showed 230,129 m3 of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q1 2025, a 6.9% increase from 215,247 m3 in Q1 2024.

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2025

Admin

The Port of Rotterdam Authority recently published bunker fuel sales data for the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

Deliveries of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Q1 2025 (against on year) recorded respectively 187,031 metric tonnes (mt) (+5.8% from 176,797 mt), 789,218 mt (+15.9% from 680,782 mt), 829,197 mt (+1.4% from 818,028 mt), 295,127 (+12.4% from 262,496 mt), 97,944 mt (-19% from 120,913 mt).

Bio-blended variants of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Q1 2025 (against on year) recorded respectively 8,490 mt (-68.9% from 27,263 mt), 49,263 mt (-71.7% from 174,301 mt), 28,271 mt (-33.9% from 42,761 mt), 15,640 mt (+8.7% from 13,180 mt) and 5,129 mt (-99.8% from 958 mt).

Port data showed 230,129 m3 of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q1 2025, a 6.9% increase from 215,247 m3 in Q1 2024. Bio-methanol and bio-blended LNG recorded 5,490 mt and zero respectively in Q1 2025.

Photo credit: Port of Rotterdam
Published: 24 April, 2025