Singapore
Prompt availability remains tight in the Singapore bunker market. VLSFO has lead times of 8-9 days, and slightly longer lead times of 8-11 days are advised for HSFO.
LSMGO availability has been getting tighter since the beginning of October with the lead times now stretching to 8-9 days.
Singapore’s middle distillate stocks were drawn by 14% in the week ending 19 October and remain well below their five-year average position for the year, according to Enterprise Singapore.
East Asia
Bunkering has resumed at Zhoushan’s Tiaozhoumen and Xiushandong anchorages amid calmer weather conditions, while the Xiazhimen anchorage continued to be closed for bunkering on Tuesday, according to White Whale Shipping Agency. The port’s outer port limits (OPL) bunkering was suspended from Monday due to rough weather.
Bunker congestion has eased in Zhoushan since last week, with the total number of vessels waiting to bunker coming down by eight from Monday, according to White Whale Shipping Agency.
Recommended lead times for VLSFO in Zhoushan are 3-5 days and around five days for HSFO. LSMGO has shorter lead times of 2-4 days.
VLSFO remains tight for prompt dates in South Korean ports as most suppliers are running low on stocks. Lead times for VLSFO now stretch into the first week of November. One supplier can offer the grade with much shorter lead times of four days, a source says.
Lead times of around eight days are recommended in South Korean ports for LSMGO and HSFO.
Availability across all grades remain tight in Hong Kong with lead times stretching to 9-11 days.
South Asia
Availability of VLSFO remains good across several Indian ports, including Mumbai, Mundra and Kandla on the northwest coast, and Cochin and Chennai on the southern coast, with lead times of 2-3 days.
Recommended lead times for VLSFO in Visakhapatnam on India’s east coast are 2-3 days, while HSFO in the port is subject to enquiry.
Availability of HSFO is subject to enquiry in Mumbai and Cochin as well.
Meanwhile, prompt dates for VLSFO and LSMGO are available in Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Trincomalee.
Middle East
Fujairah’s VLSFO price has remained the most attractive among the major Asian hubs since the beginning of October. A period of sluggish demand, ample supply and strong competition for stems has contributed to keep a lid on price increases.
LSMGO has the longest lead time among fuels in the port, with around nine days, followed by lead times of about seven days for VLSFO and HSFO.
Some suppliers can offer prompt dates for VLSFO deliveries in the Omani ports of Duqm and Sohar. Recommended lead times are short at only 1-2 days ahead.
Source: ENGINE, By Tuhin Roy (https://engine.online/)