North America
Bunker fuel demand has been good in Houston this week, but availability for all grades has been tight for prompt delivery dates. Most suppliers can offer VLSFO and LSMGO stems with a lead time of 6-7 days in Houston. HSFO will generally require a longer lead time.
Thick fog and reduced visibility are forecast for the rest of this week, which could disrupt bunkering operations and vessel traffic in Houston and at ports along the US Gulf Coast, bunker suppliers and shipping sources said.
A moderate to high risk of fog may lead to intermittent closures of the Houston Ship Channel starting later today and continuing through Thursday, sources said. The channel, a vital waterway for ports in Houston, Galveston, Baytown, and Texas City, often faces closures during the Gulf Coast's winter fog season, which runs until March.
“Channel closures could lead to vessel congestion and supply delays,” one source said. “Barges transiting the ship channel, as well as cargo loading and reloading operations, may face intermittent delays,” a source added.
Ports such as Galveston, which rely on the Houston Ship Channel, are likely to be affected, although localised weather conditions can sometimes allow traffic in Houston to continue while operations at Galveston are suspended.
Securing both prompt and non-prompt stems for all fuel grades is tight at the New Orleans Outer Anchorage (NOLA) and in the Port of Mobile. Some suppliers are unable to provide an exact date for when they will have the supply available to resume offers.
In the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), bunker operations were suspended on Thursday morning due to rough weather conditions. A short window of calm weather on Friday morning could enable bunker operations to resume briefly in GOLA before conditions worsen again.
Prompt availability is tight in the West Coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Lead times of 8-10 days are generally recommended to secure VLSFO and LSMGO in both locations.
VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal in the East Coast port of New York. Overall, bunker demand has been slow in New York so far this week.
Caribbean and Latin America
Bunker fuel demand has been normal in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal. Product availability is also good in both locations, with several suppliers able to supply all fuel grades with a lead time of 5-7 days.
Bunkering operations are expected to be suspended in Zona Comun on Thursday afternoon amid rough weather conditions. Bad weather is expected over the weekend, which may cause prolonged delays.
Demand has been good in Brazilian ports this week. Availability has been good in most of the ports, and some suppliers can offer grades at a lower price than usual, a source says.
Source: ENGINE, https://engine.online/news