Manifold Times recently caught up with Reza Amanat, Managing Director of Asia, at General Index (GX) who introduced GX Go – a revamped visualization and analytics user interface (UI) for bunker fuel and various oil products price indications.

The new visualization and analytics UI platform serves as a portal allowing users to effectively explore and navigate GX’s various products and services.

Editor’s note: Readers interested to trial General Index’s offerings may access the platform here.

MT: What bunker fuel related price data and services does GX offer? How are GX’s offerings different from similar pricing platforms?

GX has tried to create the most comprehensive bunker price service in the market, with more than 800 daily prices across 500+ global ports. Key grades such as MGO, VLSFO, and IFO380 are assessed at major hubs including Singapore, Fujairah, Rotterdam, and Houston, as well as other important Asian ports like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Busan. These assessments draw on more than 40,000 historical trades and price signals, with hundreds of fresh data points added daily, combining industry expertise with advanced technology to deliver transparent pricing insights worldwide. We also provide indexes for transition bunker fuels such as LNG, B24, B30, and Methanol at major hubs, including Singapore and Gibraltar. All of the benchmarks are regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and audited against the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles.

MT: What are the reasons GX embarked on the project to create The GX Go platform? How will it add value to GX’s current bunker pricing portfolio?

The natural growth of our services into multiple markets and geographies meant we were soon producing thousands of indexes, and it became apparent that exploring the full breadth of the data was starting to become challenging for clients and trial users. We created the GX Go platform to address this challenge, with a focus on simplifying the process of finding, analysing and downloading or integrating the data. The overarching goal was to turn a process that can be time consuming and laborious, into something that was quick and intuitive. Hopefully, the page splits by products and geographies, multiple filters and quick viewing and downloading of customised price charts achieves that goal. For companies interested in our bunker prices, it should mean users can easily compare grades across 500+ ports and create charts with the specific bunker prices of their choice. At the end of the journey, the user will have multiple option for downloading or integration of the data that includes Excel, API, Python, cloud platforms or third-party data platforms such as Bloomberg, LSEG and FactSet.

MT: How long did it take to develop the platform? What are the challenges encountered along the way and how did GX overcome them?

The platform development began with a proof-of-concept built in two weeks, followed by four months of internal development to create a production-ready system. We then spent two months onboarding beta customers and iterating based on their feedback before the official launch.

The primary challenge was presenting our vast dataset – in an intuitive interface. We overcame this through smart categorization and robust filtering capabilities. Another challenge was meeting diverse client technical needs, which we addressed by developing multiple export and integration options.

MT: What advantages does GX Go have over similar platforms; why should the bunker industry adopt GX’s solution?

GX Go combines comprehensive data coverage with exceptional usability. Our more than 800 daily prices are accessible through an interface designed specifically for industry workflows, making data exploration quick and intuitive rather than time-consuming.

The platform excels in visualization and export capabilities, allowing users to easily create customized charts and export data in formats that integrate seamlessly with tools like Power BI or Excel. We’re also introducing dashboard customization features that will allow users to build personalized dashboards of their key prices. Users can access data through whatever method fits their processes – such as API integration or direct feeds to Bloomberg/LSEG terminals – making adoption seamless rather than disruptive.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

MT: Besides bunker price indications, what other pricing services does GX offer?

GX offers more than 4,700 price indexes spanning hydrocarbon and transition markets. We now have global coverage of crude oil, oil products and LPG, and within this service sits our physical benchmarks for European gasoline and US crude, which have had derivatives listed against them for financial settlement, allowing effective hedging of physical exposures in those markets. Over the last two years, the company has also expanded its pricing services into transition markets such as biofuels, carbon and next-generation renewable fuels like hydrogen and e-methanol. We also have a Marine Carbon service which can help the energy industry understand the cost of carbon emissions associated with major tanker routes, supporting them make informed decisions in the transition toward greener bunker operations.

Photo credit: General Index
Published: 3 September 2025