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 availability improves in Singapore
• Prompt VLSFO supply tight across several Japanese ports
• Several South Korean ports brace for weather disruptions

Singapore and Malaysia

Bunker availability in Singapore has improved. VLSFO lead times have shortened from 6–18 days last week to 7–10 days now, while HSFO lead times have decreased from 7–11 days to 6–9 days. LSMGO remains readily available, with recommended lead times reduced from 6–8 days to 4–7 days.

According to Enterprise Singapore, residual fuel oil stocks in the port have averaged 20% higher so far in April compared to March. At 23.01 million bbls, Singapore’s fuel oil stocks have reached a multi-year high. The port has also recorded a 21% increase in net fuel oil imports in April, with imports rising by 1.33 million bbls and exports increasing by 455,000 bbls. In contrast, middle distillate stocks have averaged 10% lower in April than in March.

At Malaysia’s Port Klang, both VLSFO and LSMGO are readily available, with prompt delivery possible for smaller volumes. However, HSFO supply remains limited.

East Asia

In Zhoushan, lead times for VLSFO remain at 5–7 days, while LSMGO lead times have shortened from 5–7 days last week to 1–3 days. HSFO supply has improved significantly, with several suppliers now recommending lead times of 3–5 days, down from around eight days last week.

Bunkering activity in China is expected to stay subdued during the Labor Day holiday period from 1–5 May.

In northern China, Dalian and Qingdao have healthy stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO, though HSFO remains limited in Qingdao. Tianjin continues to face tight supply for both VLSFO and HSFO, while LSMGO availability is stable.

In Shanghai, VLSFO and HSFO remain under supply pressure, but LSMGO is readily available. Further south, Fuzhou maintains strong supply of both VLSFO and LSMGO. Xiamen has good VLSFO availability, though LSMGO supply is limited. Prompt deliveries of both VLSFO and LSMGO continue to be challenging in Yangpu and Guangzhou.

In Hong Kong, lead times for all fuel grades continue to hold steady at approximately seven days, showing no change from recent weeks.

Meanwhile in Taiwan, VLSFO and LSMGO availability remains stable across Hualien, Keelung, Kaohsiung, and Taichung, with lead times still around two days, consistent with last week.

Fuel availability across all grades has tightened at several South Korean ports, with lead times increasing from 3–7 days last week to around nine days now.

Bunker operations are also expected to face disruptions due to high waves and strong winds: in Ulsan, Onsan, and Busan from 1–5 May; in Daesan and Taean from 30 April–4 May; and in Yeosu from 1–6 May.

Prompt VLSFO supply remains tight at several Japanese ports, including Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, and Mizushima.

While LSMGO availability is generally stable, prompt deliveries can be difficult to secure in Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, and Mizushima. HSFO supply is also limited at many locations. In Oita, all fuel grades are available only upon enquiry.

Bunker operations across Japan are expected to remain subdued during the Golden Week holidays from 29 April to 5 May, as most suppliers will only fulfill pre-booked stems and not accept new ones during this period.

In Vietnam, rough weather may disrupt bunker deliveries in Ho Chi Minh from 30 April to 1 May.

Oceania

In Western Australia, VLSFO and LSMGO remain well supplied in Kwinana, Fremantle, and Kembla, with recommended lead times of 7–8 days. In New South Wales, Sydney has ample LSMGO availability, though prompt HSFO deliveries remain difficult.

Port Kembla’s anchorage is closed today due to high swells and strong winds. While harbour movements continue, pilotage may be disrupted as shipping is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to GAC Hot Port News.

In Victoria, both Melbourne and Geelong report strong availability of VLSFO and LSMGO, but prompt HSFO remains scarce. Queensland’s ports—Brisbane and Gladstone—also maintain good stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO, with lead times of 7–8 days, though HSFO supply in Brisbane is limited.

In New Zealand, VLSFO is adequately stocked in Tauranga and Auckland, but bunker operations in Tauranga could face intermittent disruptions from 29 April to 1 May due to adverse weather.

South Asia

Adverse weather is expected to disrupt bunker deliveries at the Indian ports of Kandla and Sikka from 29 April to 3 May.

In contrast, fuel availability at Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Hambantota ports remains steady across all grades, with recommended lead times holding at around four days, unchanged from last week.

Middle East

Prompt bunker availability in Fujairah remains tight, with lead times for all grades unchanged from last week at 5–7 days. Khor Fakkan mirrors these lead time recommendations.

In Basrah, Iraq, VLSFO and LSMGO are readily available, while both grades are nearly depleted in Ras Laffan, Qatar, and Suez, Egypt. 

At Egypt’s Suez, deliveries could be disrupted by adverse weather on 30 April, while Port Said may experience similar issues from 30 April to 2 May.

In Saudi Arabia, Jeddah has adequate LSMGO supply but limited VLSFO. Bunker deliveries in Jeddah and Yanbu may face weather-related disruptions on 3 May and 2–3 May, respectively.

In Djibouti, bunker supply is strained, with VLSFO and HSFO stocks nearly exhausted and LSMGO running low.

Meanwhile, Omani ports including Sohar, Salalah, Muscat, and Duqm continue to report ample LSMGO availability.

By Tuhin Roy

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 30 April, 2025

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:

• B100 now $90/mt cheaper than HSFO in Rotterdam
• LNG delivery premium down $10/mt in Rotterdam
• Singapore’s LNG flips to discount to LSMGO

B100’s discounts to fossil fuels have widened even further in Rotterdam. It is now $116/mt cheaper than VLSFO and a substantial $228/mt cheaper than LSMGO in the port.

Even for scrubber-fitted vessels bunkering in Rotterdam, B100 remains the most cost-effective alternative, standing at a significant $90/mt discount against HSFO.

Rotterdam's biofuel bunker sales fell to 110,000 mt in the first quarter of the year and made up 5% of the port’s total bunker sales, down from peaks of 10-11% between the third quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024.

Rotterdam’s sales have been trailing further and further behind Singapore’s 361,000 mt in the first quarter this year.

LBM continues to be Rotterdam’s cheapest bunkering option for dual-fuel vessel owners. Its discount to LNG has widened by a slight $2/mt, to $253–293/mt, depending on a vessel’s methane slip.

LBM's discount to VLSFO has also increased, now standing at $204–339/mt.

LBM’s discount to Rotterdam’s B100, meanwhile, has narrowed by $9/mt to $88–223/mt over the past week.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s VLSFO benchmark has declined by $8/mt over the past week, mirroring an $8/mt decrease in front-month ICE Brent futures. Prompt supply of the grade remains tight in the wider ARA region, with lead times of 5–7 days recommended.

The port’s B100 price has declined by a greater $27/mt in the past week. PRIMA Markets last assessed the Dutch HBE rebate for B100 at $406/mt, up $16/mt from a week earlier.

Singapore’s VLSFO benchmark has remained unchanged over the past week. Lead times for the grade have grown longer, now standing at 6–18 days compared to 8–12 days the week before.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam's LNG bunker price has declined by $17/mt over the past week. The drop has largely been driven by a $10/mt drop in the bunker delivery premium over the Dutch TTF gas benchmark, which has fallen by $10/mt on the week to $83/mt.

LNG's discount to LSMGO has widened by a further $8/mt to $23/mt.

Singapore’s LNG bunker price has dropped by $51/mt in the past week. Asian LNG bunker prices typically track the NYMEX Japan/Korea Marker (JKM), which has declined by $0.82/MMBtu during the same period, pushing the front-month contract down to $11.27/MMBtu ($586/mt).

A price gap has "emerged between Asia and Europe amid stagnant demand in Asia, and the supply of US spot LNG to Asia increased due to arbitrage trading," according to JOGMEC.

Singapore’s LNG price has shifted to a $5/mt discount against LSMGO over the past week, down from a $41/mt premium. These prices include estimated EU compliance costs for Singapore–EU voyages.

By Konica Bhatt

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 29 April, 2025

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