North America

Prompt stems can be hard to book in the Houston area and bunker locations off the Gulf Coast. Lead times can be unpredictable as recent weather disruptions have pushed back delivery schedules and further delayed product loadings from terminals, a source says.

A lead time of about seven days is generally recommended to ensure full coverage from all suppliers in the Houston area, which is similar to last week.

Rough weather continues to disrupt bunkering in Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), as it has in recent weeks. Most suppliers are generally quoting deliveries “subject to weather conditions”.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is said to be normal in the East Coast port of New York, a trader says.

All grades remain tight for prompt delivery dates in the West Coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Several suppliers are fully booked for the remaining days of this month and their earliest delivery dates now stretch out to early next month onwards.

Recommended lead times are about 10-12 days for VLSFO and LSMGO in Los Angeles and Long Beach. HSFO lead times are typically longer.

Bunker fuel availability remains normal in Mexico’s Manzanillo. Recommended lead times are about five days for HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO.

Caribbean and Latin America

Prompt VLSFO can be slightly tight in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal. Some suppliers are unable to supply prompt stems amid tight schedules in Balboa, while there are more open for slots for early February.

One supplier can deliver VLSFO and LSMGO stems for very prompt dates (0-3 days) in Cristobal. Another requires at least five days of lead time.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal off Trinidad. One supplier can deliver stems for very prompt dates.

Bunker demand has been slow in Colombia’s Cartagena and Santa Marta, a trader says. There have been few enquiries in recent days. Recommended lead times for VLSFO and LSMGO are about three days.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in Argentina’s Zona Comun anchorage. Two suppliers can deliver stems with lead times of three days, a source says. But high winds are forecast from Friday evening and can trigger a suspension or delays through the weekend.

VLSFO availability has improved in Brazil’s Santos. One supplier can accommodate stems for both prompt and dates further out. Last week, Santos’ VLSFO price momentarily rose to a rare premium of nearly $25/mt over Zona Comun’s, before flipping back to discount levels now.
Source: ENGINE, By Nithin Chandran, https://engine.online/