Northwest Europe
Bunker fuel availability is said to be normal in the ARA ports. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for HSFO and VLSFO, and shorter lead times of 4-5 days for LSMGO, a trader said.
LSMGO supply tightness towards the end of last week has now eased, and availability is back to normal in the wider ARA hub.
The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 4% higher so far this month than across November, according to Insights Global Data.
The region has imported 167,000 b/d of fuel oil so far this month, down from 225,000 b/d imported in November, according to cargo tracker Vortexa.
Germany has been the ARA’s biggest fuel oil import source this month, accounting for 19% of the region’s total imports. Poland followed close behind, accounting for 17% of the total imports, and the UK (16%).
Meanwhile, the ARA hub’s independent gasoil inventories — which include gasoil and heating oil — have held steady so far this month.
HSFO availability remains tight for deliveries off Skaw. Lead times of 7-10 days are recommended for the high sulphur grade. LSMGO and VLSFO availability is relatively better.
Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for both grades.
Bunker fuel availability is normal in the German port of Hamburg. Lead times of 3-5 days are recommended for all three grades.
Mediterranean
Bunker fuel availability is normal for all grades in Gibraltar. All three bunker fuel grades are available for prompt delivery dates. Recommended lead times for LSMGO and VLSFO are 3-5 days, and 4-5 days for HSFO.
Rough weather conditions are forecast to hit Gibraltar Strait on Friday and over the weekend, which could impact bunkering in the ports there. Congestion was reported in Gibraltar on Wednesday because of rough weather conditions. Two suppliers were experiencing delays of more than 24 hours in Gibraltar on Wednesday.
Adverse weather continues to impact bunker deliveries off Malta. Several suppliers are reporting bunker delays because of rough weather. Lead times of more than seven days are generally recommended by suppliers, a trader says.
Strong wind gusts between 21 knots and 31 knots are forecast to hit off Malta in periods over the weekend and possibly into the next week. Stems are currently being supplied only at the bunkering area four, MH Bland says.
Meanwhile, bunker fuel availability is normal in the Greek port of Piraeus.
Bad weather has also impacted bunker operations at the Turkish port of Istanbul. Bunker fuel availability is tight in the port, and deliveries are mostly subject to enquiry there, a trader said.
Africa
In South Africa’s Durban and Richards Bay, VLSFO availability is said to be normal. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for both grades, a source says.
LSMGO, however, remains very tight in both ports, two traders said. Lead times of over 10 days are generally recommended due to the limited supply of the grade. Some bunker suppliers are unable to confirm when replenishment cargoes will arrive to ease supply pressure. Availability of the grade has been tight since November.
Offshore bunkering in Algoa could resume from 1 February, after having been suspended since September, a port agent told ENGINE. While the port agent pegged it to a specific date, two other port agents were unable to confirm this.
Some traders argue that the mentioned date appears to be speculative as no official confirmation has been announced from South African authorities.
Speculation about when offshore bunkering can resume in Algoa Bay comes after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on Monday issued amendments to its bunkering rules mentioned in the Customs and Excise Act.
Offshore deliveries in Algoa Bay came to a halt in September after SARS detained bunker barges over import duty disputes. Supply has been limited to in-port deliveries by one supplier in Port Elizabeth.
In Mozambique’s Nacala port, the availability of HSFO and LSMGO grades is good. VLSFO availability is tight in the port. The earliest delivery date with a supplier stretches to 26 December.
Availability of VLSFO and LSMGO grades is said to be normal in Maputo.
Source: ENGINE, By Manjula Nair, https://engine.online/news