More vessels arriving to bunker contributed to push Panama’s total bunker sales up by 5% in August.

Changes in Panama bunker fuel sales from July to August:

• Total sales up 21,000 mt to 457,000 mt
• HSFO sales up 19,000 mt to 150,000 mt
• VLSFO sales up 7,000 mt to 264,000 mt
• LSMGO sales down 2,000 mt to 35,000 mt
• 0.50% MGO sales down 3,000 mt to 8,000 mt

Total bunker sales in August reached their highest level since March 2023. The number of ships bunkering in Panama’s ports rose by a massive 44 on the month, to 617 in August. This was the highest figure since October last year. The average stem size was roughly 741 mt in August, down by 21 mt from 762 mt in July, according to preliminary figures from the Panama Maritime Authority.

In August, sales of VLSFO and HSFO increased by 3% and 14%, respectively. On the other hand, LSMGO sales dropped by 6% on the month. HSFO sales were at their highest since IMO's 0.5% sulphur cap into force in 2020.

The number of barges operating remained unchanged at 31 in August.

Despite the monthly increase in sales in August, bunker-only calls fell by 3%, or 18 calls, compared to August last year. Sales of VLSFO experienced the biggest decline, with a 10% decrease compared to last year.

VLSFO continued to be the most sought-after product, accounting for 61% of total sales in Panama in the first eight months of this year. HSFO sales represented 29% of the total and combined MGO sales at 10%.

Since the beginning of this month, the Panama Canal Authority has raised daily transit slots from 34 to 36, further improving its capacity to handle maritime traffic.

Demand for VLSFO and LSMGO was good in Panama’s ports of Balboa and Cristobal last month. Product availability was also normal, and most suppliers were able to supply both fuel grades with a lead time of 3-5 days.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online