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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Global Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (2 Jan 2025)

Prompt HSFO supply is tight in Rotterdam; several Middle Eastern ports could face weather disruptions; bad weather may impact bunkering in Gola.

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RESIZED ENGINE GLOBAL

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

  • Prompt HSFO supply is tight in Rotterdam
  • Several Middle Eastern ports could face weather disruptions
  • Bad weather may impact bunkering in Gola

Europe & Africa

Availability of HSFO is still tight in Rotterdam and across the wider ARA hub, a trader told ENGINE. Suppliers are unable to offer the grade for very prompt delivery dates. Lead times of 5-7 days are advised for optimal coverage, according to a trader.

Both VLSFO and LSMGO are well stocked in the ARA hub, with lead times of 3-5 days advised.

In the German port of Hamburg, availability of all three grades is normal, a trader said. Most suppliers can supply all three grades with lead times of 3-5 days.

Gibraltar has no constraints in bunker supply and availability is normal in the port, a trader said. Lead times of 3-5 days are advised for all three grades. Gibraltar experienced a temporary suspension of operations due to bad weather last week. This resulted in severe congestion, with 25 vessels waiting to bunker at the port on Monday. By Thursday, the congestion had eased, with only nine vessels waiting in line for bunkers, a trader said.

Looking ahead, bad weather may once again disrupt bunker deliveries in Gibraltar. Strong wind gusts ranging from 31-33 knots are expected on Sunday and Monday, followed by a brief period of calm weather. On Wednesday, strong winds of up to 29 knots are anticipated, which could impact bunker operations once again.

The South African ports of Durban and Richards Bay are experiencing tightness in VLSFO supply. Lead times of 7-10 days are recommended for the grade in both ports, a trader said.

LSMGO remains dry in Durban for the second consecutive week. Bunkering disruptions may occur on Friday when strong wind gusts of up to 26 knots are forecast.

Mauritius’ Port Louis has good availability across all bunker grades, with prompt delivery dates on offer, according to a trader.

East of Suez

VLSFO availability in Singapore has improved, with lead times reduced to 6-9 days from around 10 days last week. HSFO lead times remain steady at 10-13 days, while LSMGO lead times vary between 4-14 days. At Malaysia’s Port Klang, VLSFO and LSMGO supplies are abundant, with some suppliers offering prompt deliveries for small volumes, but HSFO availability remains limited.

In Zhoushan, VLSFO lead times have increased to 5-7 days from 4-6 days last week, while HSFO lead times rose to 5-7 days from 3-5 days. LSMGO lead times have improved slightly, decreasing from 4-6 days to 3-5 days. In Shanghai, LSMGO is readily available, but VLSFO and HSFO remain constrained. Fuzhou has strong VLSFO and LSMGO supplies, while Xiamen has good VLSFO, but restricted LSMGO availability. Prompt availability is limited at Yangpu and Guangzhou.

In Hong Kong, lead times for all grades remain around seven days. Taiwan ports, including Hualien, Taichung, and Keelung, have steady VLSFO and LSMGO supplies with two-day lead times. At Kaohsiung, VLSFO lead times are around two days, but LSMGO delivery is challenging due to barge maintenance since 26 December.

In South Korea, western ports such as Daesan offer a $25/mt discount on VLSFO compared to southern ports like Busan due to subdued demand. Southern ports have VLSFO and LSMGO lead times of 4-12 days, while lead times have improved to seven days in western ports.

Bunker operations at Ulsan, Onsan, and Busan ports may experience intermittent disruptions due to bad weather from 6-8 January. Similarly, disruptions are expected at Daesan, Taean, and Yeosu ports on Friday and between 6-8 January.

In Japan, fuel availability is limited across major ports, including Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, Mizushima, and Oita.

In Western Australia, the ports of Kwinana, Fremantle, and Kembla have good VLSFO and LSMGO supplies, with lead times of 7-8 days. Queensland’s Brisbane and Gladstone also have sufficient VLSFO and LSMGO supplies with 7-8 day lead times, while HSFO availability in Brisbane remains limited. In New Zealand, Tauranga and Auckland have adequate VLSFO supplies, with Auckland also offering sufficient LSMGO. However, rough weather on 3 and 7 January in Tauranga could disrupt bunker operations.

VLSFO and LSMGO remain in limited supply at several Indian ports, including Kandla, Mumbai, Tuticorin, Chennai, and Cochin, as in previous weeks. Supply of both grades in Visakhapatnam depends on availability, while a supplier in Haldia is nearly out of stock. Sri Lanka’s ports of Colombo and Hambantota have good availability of VLSFO, LSMGO, and HSFO, with lead times steady at around four days.

In the Middle East, Fujairah has tight availability, with lead times for all grades remaining at 5-7 days, unchanged from last week. Khor Fakkan has similar lead times for all grades. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, LSMGO is sufficiently supplied, but VLSFO availability is limited. Djibouti faces severe supply shortages, with VLSFO and HSFO nearly exhausted, and LSMGO also in short supply. Omani ports, including Sohar, Salalah, Muscat, and Duqm, have ample LSMGO supplies.

Inclement weather is forecast across several Middle Eastern ports, including Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Sohar, and Dubai, on Thursday, which may disrupt bunker deliveries. Bad weather is also expected in Jeddah from 5-6 January and in Salalah from 2-5 January, potentially affecting bunker operations.

Americas

Very prompt availability is tight in Houston and other ports along the US Gulf Coast. Lead times of at least seven days are recommended for VLSFO and LSMGO, while longer lead times are generally recommended for HSFO.

Some suppliers are unable to offer grades in Houston for prompt dates because of tight delivery schedules, a source said.

Bad weather is forecast over the weekend in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) and may complicate barge deliveries there.

Two suppliers can offer LSMGO for prompt dates in Port Everglades, Florida.

Lead times of 7-8 days are generally recommended to ensure full coverage from suppliers in Balboa and Cristobal. Two suppliers can deliver VLSFO and LSMGO with lead times of seven days, while one supplier can offer LSMGO for delivery dates after 11 January.

By Manjula Nair, Tuhin Roy and Nithin Chandran

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 3 January, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: LSMGO surges to greater premium over biofuel

B100 discount to LSMGO widens to $541/mt in Rotterdam; Singapore’s B100 drops to $106/mt below LSMGO; Rotterdam LBM at $639-833/mt discounts to LSMGO.

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ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: LSMGO surges to greater premium over biofuel

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:

20 July 2026

  • B100 discount to LSMGO widens to $541/mt in Rotterdam
  • Singapore’s B100 drops to $106/mt below LSMGO
  • Rotterdam LBM at $639-833/mt discounts to LSMGO

B100’s premium over HSFO in Rotterdam has narrowed by $50/mt over the past week to $64/mt, while its discount to VLSFO has widened by $83/mt to $105/mt.

B100 has become far more competitive against LSMGO in Rotterdam, with its discount widening by $180/mt over the past week to $541/mt, as a surge in conventional fuel prices left B100 broadly unchanged by comparison.

B100’s price has risen by $109/mt in Singapore, but its discount to LSMGO has still widened by $102/mt to $106/mt, as LSMGO surged by an even greater $211/mt.

Rotterdam’s LNG premium over VLSFO has widened by $35/mt to $201/mt for vessels with Otto medium speed (Otto MS) engines. For vessels with diesel slow speed (diesel SS) engines, LNG has flipped to a $15/mt premium over VLSFO, from a $22/mt discount the prior week.

Liquefied biomethane (LBM) discounts to VLSFO in Rotterdam have narrowed by $50-52/mt to $203-396/mt over the past week. Against LSMGO, LBM discounts have widened by $45-47/mt to $639-833/mt, depending on engine type.

In Singapore, LNG is now $42/mt cheaper than LSMGO for vessels with Otto MS engines, and $134/mt cheaper for vessels with diesel SS engines.

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: LSMGO surges to greater premium over biofuel

Liquid fuels

HSFO and VLSFO prices in Rotterdam have jumped by $66/mt and $99/mt respectively over the past week, while LSMGO has surged by an even steeper $196/mt. A $9.69/bbl ($71/mt) rise in front-month ICE Brent futures, to $87.94/bbl ($645/mt), drove bunker prices sharply higher across the board.

Bunker fuel availability is tight for prompt delivery dates in the ARA ports, with buyers advised to enquire about stems between 5-7 days ahead to get good coverage, a trader said.

Rotterdam’s B100 price has risen by $16/mt over the past week. Dutch ZRE A ticket prices were unchanged at €107.50/mtCO2e.

Singapore’s HSFO and VLSFO prices have risen by $130/mt and $132/mt respectively, while its LSMGO price has gained an even steeper $211/mt over the past week.

VLSFO availability in Singapore has been tight, with several suppliers reporting low stock levels. Recommended lead times have widened from 13–17 days last week to 14–19 days now.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have surged by $134-136/mt over the past week, while its LBM prices have climbed by $149-151/mt.

LBM discounts to LNG in Rotterdam have narrowed by $15/mt to $404-411/mt.

Singapore’s LNG bunker benchmarks have surged by $196-197/mt over the past week.

By Erik Hoffmann

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Bunker Fuel

ENGINE: Americas Fuel Availability Outlook (16 July 2026)

Moderate sea fog to affect parts of US Gulf; Panama bunker supply steady; tight VLSFO and LSMGO supply in Rio Grande.

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RESIZED ENGINE Americas

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:

  • Moderate sea fog to affect parts of US Gulf
  • Panama bunker supply steady
  • Tight VLSFO and LSMGO supply in Rio Grande

North America

In Houston, bunker availability is normal across all three conventional fuel grades. Recommended lead times are about 5-7 days for VLSFO and HSFO, while LSMGO has typically taken 4-5 days over the past week, a trader tells ENGINE.

At the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), deliveries are continuing on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to weather conditions.

Currently, no major operational disruptions have been reported at the anchorage.

Sea fog is not expected to cause widespread bunker disruptions across the US Gulf Coast, with most major ports forecast to maintain good visibility.

Moderate sea fog could affect Pascagoula and Mobile early next week, while Tampa faces the highest risk of reduced visibility between 20-22 July.

Brief visibility restrictions are also forecast at Venice, Louisiana, while conditions are expected to remain favourable at Houston, Galveston, Freeport, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, Lake Charles, Port Fourchon and New Orleans.

The Atlantic hurricane season is underway, and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued an advisory for Tropical Storm Elida in the Eastern Pacific. Marine warnings are also in effect across parts of the Caribbean, southwest Atlantic and Eastern Pacific.

Bunker demand on the US East Coast at the port of New York is good, with healthy availability of HSFO and VLSFO.

Most suppliers can deliver both grades within 5 days, and LSMGO requires 2-4 days.

In New York, periods of high wind gusts are forecast through 19 July.

While no backlog congestion has been reported, suppliers may require standby tugs under poor weather conditions, which could slow bunker barge movements, a source said.

On the West Coast, bunker demand has remained normal in Los Angeles and Long Beach, where suppliers recommend lead times between 8-10 days across all conventional grades.

In Vancouver, recommended lead times are 5-7 days for HSFO and 6-8 days for VLSFO and LSMGO, a source said.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Bunker availability is stable in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal ports. Recommended lead times are 3-5 days for VLSFO and LSMGO, and HSFO requires around 7 days, a source said.

No major congestion or weather-related disruptions have been reported at the ports.

At Balboa, deliveries are being made on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to weather conditions, with priority given to vessels holding confirmed Panama Canal transit schedules.

Weather conditions could temporarily affect operations at several Caribbean bunkering locations.

In Freeport, Bahamas, bunker operations continue normally. Cruise vessels are given priority at the port, and no significant congestion or weather-related disruptions have been reported.

Further east, high wind gusts are forecast through 19 July and could delay bunker operations at St. Eustatius, where deliveries are conducted at anchorage.

Offshore bunkering in Trinidad may also experience delays during the same period because of high winds and rough seas.

Brazil continues to present a mixed supply of bunker fuels.

Santos this week offers normal availability for VLSFO and LSMGO, although port congestion persists, a trader tells ENGINE. Recommended lead times are 5-8 days at the port.

Rio de Janeiro also has normal VLSFO availability and requires lead times between 4 days to one week. LSMGO is available only upon prior consultation at the port.

Availability is tighter at southern Brazilian ports. Paranaguá and Rio Grande have both reported tight VLSFO and LSMGO availability, and operators are advised to plan bunker stems well in advance.

Belém and Vila do Conde continue to offer normal availability of both grades, with lead times between 4-7 days, a source said.

In Argentina’s Zona Común, VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good, with suppliers typically taking between 5-7 days of lead time to deliver via barges, a source said.

Weather conditions could become less favourable between 19-20 July, when high wind gusts are forecast. Deliveries will continue on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to weather conditions.

By Gautamee Hazarika

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 17 July, 2026

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Bunker Fuel Availability

ENGINE: Europe and Africa Fuel Availability Outlook (15 July 2026)

Notice of 5-7 days required in ARA; congestion remains high in Gibraltar and Algeciras; lead time of around 4-5 days recommended in Luanda.

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RESIZED ENGINE Europe and Africa

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:

  • Notice of 5-7 days required in ARA
  • Congestion remains high in Gibraltar and Algeciras
  • Lead time of around 4-5 days recommended in Luanda

Northwest Europe

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

In Antwerp’s Deurganck Dock, hydrofluoric acid spilled from a container on a cargo ship, leading to traffic getting suspended in the affected area. Operations have resumed in all terminals, except the MPET terminal.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 9% higher so far in July, compared to June’s monthly average, according to Insights Global data.

The ARA hub has imported only 175,000 b/d of fuel oil in July so far, down from June’s monthly average of 215,000 b/d, according to Vortexa cargo data.Most import cargoes have come from Colombia (33%), the Caribbean Netherlands (28%) and France (24%).

The region has imported 84,000 b/d of gasoil in July so far, down from 188,000 b/d imported in June, according to Vortexa data. Most of these shipments have come from Canada (24%), the US (20%) and Finland (15%).

Availability of all marine fuel types is stable in Germany’s Hamburg, and all fuel grades can be delivered within five days, a trader told ENGINE.

Off Denmark’s Skaw and in Sweden’s Gothenburg, fuel buyers are advised booking deliveries around 10 days ahead for any fuel grade, according to a trader.

Mediterranean

Ships calling at Gibraltar are seeing heavy congestion due to a lack of space, with around 21 vessels awaiting bunkers as of Wednesday morning, port agent MH Bland said. Some suppliers may be late by anywhere between 24-48 hours on deliveries, the port agent added.

In neighbouring Algeciras, some suppliers are delayed by 12-18 hours on supplies, port agent MH Bland said.

Consequently, fuel buyers looking to bunker in Gibraltar and Algeciras are recommended to book stems around 15 days ahead, a trader said. The congestion in Gibraltar and Algeciras is caused mostly due to overbooking by suppliers, the trader added.

In Spain’s Barcelona, buyers are advised to book with a lead time of a week, a trader said.

Fuel availability is stable in Portugal’s Lisbon, a supplier said.

In Las Palmas, buyers are requested to book with a lead time of around 7-10 days for delivery of HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO supplies, a trader told ENGINE.

Fuel buyers off Malta should enquire around 5-7 days prior to their expected time of arrival, a trader said.

Although there is a slight shortage of LSMGO, the market is expected to bounce back by next week, a supplier told ENGINE.

Fuel availability is stable in Turkey’s Istanbul, with notice of 1-3 days sufficient to get any fuel grade, a local supplier told ENGINE.

In Romania’s Constanta, Mangalia and Midia, fuel availability is normal, but prices are high, a local supplier said.

Africa

HSFO availability remains limited across almost all ports in Africa, a trader told ENGINE.

Prompt fuel availability remains tight in Togo’s Lome and off Namibia’s Walvis Bay, and buyers are recommended lead times of seven days, a trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO supplies in the Nigeria’s Lagos anchorage come with a lead time of 5-7 days, a local supplier told ENGINE.

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

Bunker availability is tight for prompt deliveries in South Africa’s Durban and off Algoa Bay, with buyers advised at least 5-7-day notice for VLSFO and LSMGO, a trader said.

Fuel availability remains tight in Mozambique’s Nacala and Maputo, as suppliers are recommending lead times of around 5-7 days for VLSFO supplies, a trader said.

Bunker fuel availability is tight in Mauritius’ Port Louis, where buyers are advised to book seven days ahead for VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries, a trader said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 16 July, 2026

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