MABUX World Bunker Index is back to firm uptrend after a slight decline a week earlier. The 380 HSFO Index has risen by 18.35 USD: from 411.95 USD/MT to 430.30 USD/MT. VLSFO Index has increased by 17.45 USD: from 516.90 USD/MT to 534.35 USD/MT, while MGO Index also has added 18.58 USD from 582.23 USD/MT to 600.81 USD/MT. The Global Scrubber Spread (SS) – the difference in price between 380 HSFO and VLSFO – has not had any significant changes during the week and averaged 105.65 USD (105.27 USD last week).
SS Spread in Rotterdam has shown a slight increase during the week from 101.00 USD to 106 USD (+5.00 USD), however the average SS spread for the week decreased by 2.50 USD from 104.50 USD last week to 102.00 USD. In Singapore, the SS has shown further narrowing of the difference between 380 HSFO and VLSFO by USD 6.00: from USD 116.00 to USD 110.00, while the average weekly SS index has decreased by USD 10.84: from 124.17 USD last week to 113.33 USD. In general, the SS spread values have now stabilized at levels close to USD 100.
Correlation of MBP Index (Market Bunker Prices) vs DBP Index (MABUX Digital Benchmark) in the four global largest hubs during the past week showed that 380 HSFO, VLSFO and MGO LS were undervalued in three of four selected ports. According to DBP Index, 380 HSFO was undercharged on average from minus $ 8 in Fujairah to minus $ 21 in Singapore. VLSFO fuel, which a few weeks ago was consistently overvalued in all ports, according to DBP Index, now records an underestimation from minus $ 2 in Rotterdam to minus $ 13 in Singapore.
MGO LS was also underpriced, ranging from minus $ 17 in Fujairah to minus $ 37 in Singapore. In Houston, there was a 100% correlation of MBP vs DBP indices registered for 380 HSFO fuel grade, while VLSFO and MGO LS were overpriced by plus $ 17 and plus $ 18 dollars, respectively.
A new study of marine shipping traffic on Canada’s Pacific Coast has highlighted the environmental impact of vessels diverting to avoid sulphur emission control areas (SECA) to save on fuel costs. Comparing the snapshots of traffic from 2014 – a year prior to the introduction of the 0.10% sulphur cap – and 2016 show that even by 2014 some ships had begun to use the longer route that minimised the time spent burning low-sulphur fuel. The added distance, multiplied by the number of cargo ships travelling this path in 2016 and the extra fuel they burned, generated 24 kilotonnes CO2eq of greenhouse gas emissions, or the equivalent of 5,161 cars on the road per year – an unintended consequence of the implementation of air pollution regulations.
Source: www.mabux.com