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Integr8 Fuels: Can bunkering outside hubs yield better pricing?

Current low bunker price environment and high tanker rates are temporary and once the situation normalises, more attention will go to increasing voyage earnings.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Integr8 Fuels, the bunker trading and brokerage arm of Navig8, on Tuesday (28 April) published an analysis on factors to consider when selecting a bunker port to optimise voyage savings; it was written by Senior Research Analyst, Anton Shamray: 

The short answer is yes, but not always. Continuous price monitoring is key to identifying price dislocations between different ports.

Overview

The world is currently going through a very turbulent time with oil prices recently falling to the multi-decade lows. Bunker fuel expenses, once being the dominant part of the voyage costs, have for now become somewhat less important, particularly in the tanker market, where freight rates skyrocketed and avoiding delays has taken priority.

However, this low bunker price environment and/or high tanker rates are temporary and once the situation goes back to ‘normal’, more attention will again be paid to reducing the bunker bill to increase voyage earnings.

There are a number of ways that can help and one of these is to be open-minded about the bunkering location, which at times may mean refuelling outside of the major hubs if prices dictate so.

Bunker-only calls no longer a feature of hub ports

The bunker market has transformed extensively in the past couple of decades. From a limited number of bunker-only ports (mostly hubs), many more are now open for bunker-only calls.

As an example, Figure 1 shows both the hubs and the secondary bunker-only locations in the Mediterranean together with vessel traffic.

As can be seen, in addition to the main hubs bunkers can now be picked up in some smaller ports like Lisbon, Sarroch, Augusta, Piraeus as well as Kali Limenes and off-shore in the South Eastern part of the Mediterranean, pricing for which can be obtained on enquiry. Therefore, it is important to monitor prices not only in the hub ports but also in the smaller locations.

The price, of course, is not the only factor to consider. Quality, availability, weather and other delays together with calling costs can influence the bunker location choice. However, with these factors often being equal or near equal, the port and supplier offering the best price usually gets the stem.

Cheapest price not only in hubs

While bunker hubs often mean a higher number of suppliers, better availability and pricing, this is not always the case, particularly following the transition to VLSFO as the main compliant fuel.

The chart above shows an example of what the ‘normal’ bunker pricing would look like. Just over a year ago, in February 2019, a buyer or an operator of a vessel needing bunkers passing through the Mediterranean would habitually enquire in Gibraltar or Malta and typically get the best price compared with the alternatives.

Then the market started changing prior to the IMO2020 transition so the usual pricing relationships between ports were broken. HSFO in some hubs started to sell at hefty premiums to the secondary ports. The bottom chart on Figure 2 shows the $40/mt premium Malta attracted over neighbouring Augusta in early October 2019, potentially resulting in a $20,000 overpayment on a 500mt stem.

From 01 January 2020, with the market fully transitioning to VLSFO as the main compliant fuel, price distortions spiked. For a period of time and due to the very limited availability, Singapore VLSFO was pricing way above anywhere in the region and even above LSMGO. While the bunker market has largely settled, certain pricing dislocations have remained.

Figure 3 shows a couple of recent VLSFO price dislocation cases and the emergence of Lisbon as a viable and often well-priced alternative, which has so far in April on average traded at a $20/mt discount to Gibraltar.

Excluding Lisbon, on 20 March 2020 it was ‘business as usual’ with both Gibraltar and Malta priced at a discount to other ports. However just over a month on, VLSFO prices dropped across the board following the drop in oil prices, although VLSFO in Gibraltar remained relatively strong.

It is estimated that booking a 500mt stem in Gibraltar vs Malta or Lisbon on 22 Apr 2020 would have resulted in at least $10,000 in overpayment. Besides this, Piraeus would have also become a viable option for vessels sailing from the North East of the Mediterranean.

Overall, it is worth noting that bunker prices fluctuate on a daily basis and bunker ports (including hubs) may frequently move from ‘expensive’ to ‘cheap’. Such price movements as well as delays, fuel quality, and changes in port call costs should be closely monitored in order to select the most optimal bunker port, achieve bunker bill savings and increase voyage revenues.


Photo credit and source:
Integr8 Fuels
Published: 29 April, 2020[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9821,9822,9823,9824″ title=”Additional Information”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Legal

Helmsman on Inter-Pacific Petroleum legal battle: When ignorance meets fraud

Lester Ho, Associate Director of law firm Helmsman shared his timely key takeaways on the recent case of Goh Jin Hian against defunct Singapore bunker supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum.

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Lester Ho Helmsman

Lester Ho, Associate Director of multi-disciplinary law firm Helmsman LLC shared his timely key takeaways on the recent case of Goh Jin Hian v Inter-Pacific Petroleum when the Appellate Division of the High Court in Singapore overturned the High Court’s finding that Mr Goh’s breach had caused IPP to incur the losses:

The collapse of a company often prompts a search for blame, especially where the downfall stems from deliberate misconduct such as fraud that appears avoidable in hindsight. Unsurprisingly, a company’s directors are frequently perceived as the root of the problem and become prime suspects in the inevitable witch hunt for accountability. The recent case of Goh Jin Hian v Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (in liquidation) [2025] SGHC(A) 7 is a timely reminder of a director’s duties as well as the legal risks in the event of breach.

The downfall of Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (“IPP”) is well-documented. The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore suspended IPP’s bunker craft operator licence after discovering that the mass flow meter of a bunker tanker chartered by IPP had been tampered with. Concerns raised by IPP’s banks in relation to its business led its non-executive director, Mr Goh Jin Hian, to discover that it was heavily indebted to the banks. It was also discovered that the facilities had been used on sham sale and purchase transactions.

IPP was subsequently placed in compulsory liquidation, and Mr Goh was sued for breach of his director’s duties. It was alleged that the sham transactions could have been prevented had Mr Goh discharged his duties and that he was therefore responsible for IPP’s losses. At first instance, the High Court found that Mr Goh had breached his duty of care and ordered him to compensate IPP for approximately US$146 million in losses (Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v Goh Jin Hian [2024] SGHC 178). Among other things, the High Court found that Mr Goh was in breach because he was entirely ignorant of IPP’s cargo trading business.

The Appellate Division of the High Court upheld the finding that Mr Goh had breached his duty for having been unaware of IPP’s cargo trading business. However, it overturned the High Court’s finding that Mr Goh’s breach had caused IPP to incur the losses. The Appellate Division found that IPP failed to prove that Mr Goh would have uncovered the sham transactions even if he had discharged his duty. Accordingly, Mr Goh was absolved of his liability to compensate IPP.

There are two broad takeaways from the decision.

The first takeaway is that every director, both executive and non-executive, is held to a minimum standard of care. This standard requires directors to take reasonable steps to put themselves in a position where they can guide and monitor the management of the company. Put simply, ignorance of a company’s business is no defence, even for non-executive directors that are not involved in everyday operations. Accordingly, although Mr Goh was a non-executive director, the fact that he was unaware that IPP was carrying on the business of cargo trading meant that he was in breach of his duties.

It may be surprising that a director could be entirely unaware of an important part of a company’s business. But the reality is that modern day companies have become commercial behemoths with complex and layered operations that makes it all too easy for directors (especially non-executive directors) to delegate oversight over critical business decisions and lose visibility of what their companies do. It is therefore important for directors, regardless of their formal titles, to ensure that there is a robust chain of reporting and command such that they have sufficient knowledge of the company’s operations to discharge their duties.

The second is that, while the law imposes high standards on directors, it does not demand unrealistic standards. As noted, the Appellate Division accepted that Mr Goh had breached his duties for having been unaware of IPP’s cargo trading business. However, it was not persuaded that, even if Mr Goh had discharged his duties and had been properly informed of IPP’s activities, the sham transactions could have been prevented. IPP was affected by what the Appellate Division considered a “deep-seated fraud” that had gone undetected even by IPP’s auditors. In the circumstances, it was far from clear that Mr Goh could have prevented the loss even if he had discharged his duty.

However, just because the law does not expect directors to be superhuman does mean that directors can afford to be complacent. Directors would still do well to take reasonable and diligent steps to ensure that they have a good grasp of the company’s operations and engage competent professionals (e.g., auditors) to help surface risks that they may otherwise miss. In a sense, Mr Goh avoided liability not because his breach was minor, but because the extent of the fraud perpetrated meant that the gravity of his breach cannot be said to have caused the loss. In other words, a less sophisticated or extensive fraud might have yielded a drastically different outcome – directors should take heed.

A timeline organised list of events preceding the current development of Inter-Pacific Petroleum has been recorded by Manifold Times below:

Related: Singapore: Ex-Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum wins appeal against former company

Related: Singapore: Ex-Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum appeals High Court decision
Related: Singapore: Former auditors of Inter-Pacific Petroleum undergo private oral examination at court
Related: Singapore: Civil trial between Inter-Pacific Petroleum and Dr Goh Jin Hian begins
Related: Former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum sued for USD 156 million
Related: Inter-Pacific Petroleum creditors authorised to fund lawsuit against former Director
Related: New Silkroutes under investigation over possible breach of Securities and Futures Act
Related: Judicial Managers considering to take former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum to court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group receives winding up order from High Court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group files for winding up application at High Court
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd bunker supplier licence
Related: Co-heads of Trade and Commodities Finance for Asia-Pacific leave SocGen
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum to hold creditors’ meet
Related: NewOcean detains Singapore-flagged bunker tanker “Pacific Energy 28”
Related: SocGen lawsuit against NewOcean Petroleum dropped, party to counterclaim
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum bunker craft operator licence
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice
Related: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
Related: With nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim judicial management
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum under judicial management
Related: Magnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
Related: IPP responds to temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence
Related: MPA temporarily suspends IPP bunker craft operator licence
Related: Singapore: Bunker Cargo officer, crew face charges over alleged MFM tampering

 

Photo credit: Helmsman
Published: 13 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

CSSC’s SDARI obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from classification societies ABS, RINA and LR for four vessel designs including a 50,000 cubic metre ammonia bunkering vessel.

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China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) recently obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from several classification societies for four vessel designs. 

Among the four is a 50,000 cubic metre (m3) ammonia bunkering vessel, which received AiP certificate from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). 

It integrates liquid ammonia transportation and bunkering functions and can meet the long-distance transportation needs of liquefied gas goods such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid ammonia. 

The ship is equipped with three IMO Type A independent liquid cargo tanks, and uses zero-carbon ammonia fuel to drive the main engine and generator, meeting the IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy and actively responding to the latest greenhouse gas intensity (GFI) requirements of the 83rd meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83). 

The entire ship is equipped with two independent 1,000 m3 deck liquid ammonia storage tanks, taking into account the ammonia fuel endurance requirements under multi-cargo loading and unloading, significantly improving operational economy and flexibility. 

In response to the needs of bunkering operations, it is specially equipped with a retractable bow thruster, side thruster and adjustable propellers to meet ABS’ DPS-1 notation and adapt to the complex port environment of bunkering operations. 

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

Meanwhile, a dual-fuel LNG/hydrogen-powered Ultramax bulker design and a 30,000 GT Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger (ROPAX) ship designed to sail in the Mediterranean Sea received AiP certificates from RINA. 

SDARI also received AiP from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a 113,000 dwt ammonia dual-fuel liquid cargo ship. The optimised propulsion system, specially configured with an ammonia dual-fuel power system and a wind-assisted propulsion system, is expected to save more than 10% energy, especially at low speeds. 

 

Photo credit: Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute
Published: 12 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

GCMD-BCG survey: 77% of shipowners, operators view net zero as high strategic priority

Survey also found the use of bio-blended bunker fuels has more than doubled to 46% and methanol use has increased from 3% to 6% but uptake of more nascent technologies such as ammonia remains limited.

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GCMD-BCG survey: 77% of shipowners, operators view net zero as high strategic priority

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (11 June) said a survey found 77% of shipowners and operators now consider achieving net zero a high priority in their strategy, up from 73% two years ago.

This was among the findings of the second edition of the Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey, jointly conducted by GCMD and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) between October 2024 and February 2025.

The survey gathered 114 responses from shipowners and operators across a range of vessel types, fleet sizes, and regions. While the survey was conducted before the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) MEPC 83 session in April, its findings already reflected sustained commitment across the industry. The outcomes of MEPC 83—introducing new regulatory targets and incentives—are expected to reinforce these ambitions and further accelerate momentum.

Survey results show that 60% of respondents have now set net-zero targets (up from 54%), while the use of bio-blended fuels has more than doubled to 46%, and methanol use has increased from 3% to 6%. However, uptake of more nascent technologies—such as ammonia, wind-assisted propulsion systems, solar panels, super-light ships, and air lubrication—remains limited.

The survey also reflects the industry’s desire for policies and regulations to create a level playing field. Nearly three-quarters of respondents identified either compliance measures or financial incentives as the most important policy objectives. A level playing field will ensure that early adopters are not competitively disadvantaged on cost and stakeholders with limited resources can benefit from financial support to overcome economic barriers.

The survey also gathered insights from key bunkering ports, whose support is critical for maritime decarbonisation. Most surveyed ports have roadmaps and dedicated teams focused on initiatives to facilitate maritime decarbonisation, and all of them, namely Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Port of Long Beach, Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of Rotterdam, and Port of Singapore, offer green incentives. 

A significant concern for ports, however, is the lack of demand certainty from shipping companies for both low-carbon fuels and Onboard Carbon Capture Systems (OCCS). This ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma hinders ports to take on the investment decision to develop the requisite infrastructure, though the recently introduced GHG pricing mechanism is expected to strengthen demand signals for low-carbon fuels.

Dr Sanjay C Kuttan, Chief Strategy Officer of GCMD, said, “Positive developments in maritime policy, especially from the IMO, which further tighten limits on GHG emissions, along with the increased ambitions voiced by survey respondents, are encouraging signals. Greater cooperation with the ports and pertinent stakeholders across the various value chains will be required to address challenges across the broader ecosystem. With the right investments and collaborative actions, the maritime industry can chart a course to a future where sustainable decarbonisation and commercial success can co-exist.

Anand Veeraraghavan, Managing Director and Senior Partner of BCG, said, “It is encouraging to see that even in the face of global uncertainties, the maritime industry’s decarbonisation ambitions remain intact and steadfast. The recent MEPC outcomes mark a pivotal step forward, sharpening demand signals with incentives for exceeding compliance goals and penalty mechanisms for shortfalls. Now is the time for the industry—both ships and ports—to build on this momentum.

Note: The second edition of the GCMD–BCG Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey report can be viewed here

 

Photo credit: Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
Published: 12 June, 2025

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