Prompt supply good in Hamburg

Availability good off Malta

Bunker supply good in Mozambique

PHOTO: Cargo being loaded on a container ship in Istanbul. Getty Image

Northwest Europe

Securing very prompt availability of HSFO and VLSFO remains a challenge in Rotterdam and the wider ARA hub. Lead times of 5-7 days are advised for both grades in the port, a trader said. Prompt LSMGO availability is comparatively better, with lead times of 3-5 days advised. 

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have declined by 8% so far this month compared to February, according to Insights Global data.

The region has imported 112,000 b/d of fuel oil so far this month, down from 298,000 b/d of fuel oil in February, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa.  

The United Kingdom (51% of the total) has become the region’s biggest fuel oil import source, followed by the Bahamas (40%) and Poland (9%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories - which include diesel and heating oil – have averaged 7% lower so far this month. The ARA hub has imported 146,000 b/d of gasoil and diesel so far this month, registering a decline from 277,000 b/d imported in February, according to Vortexa data.

In Germany’s Hamburg, bunker availability is normal, a trader said. Lead times of 3-5 days are advised for all three grades in the port. 

Mediterranean

In Gibraltar, bunker availability is tight for prompt delivery. Lead times of 5-7 days are recommended for optimal coverage from suppliers, according to a trader. Rough weather conditions in the Gibraltar port area have led to a strong backlog in the last two days, according to port agent M H Bland. Bunkering in the Outer Port Limits (OPL) area is still suspended, M H Bland states.  

Bunkering disruptions may also occur in the Canary Islands’ port of Las Palmas due to adverse weather, M H Bland said. Lead times of 5-7 days are advised for all three grades in Las Palmas. 

In the Spanish port of Barcelona, all grades are tight for prompt availability with lead times of 5-7 days recommended. 

Bunker availability is good in the Portuguese ports of Lisbon and Sines, a trader told ENGINE. 

Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, Piraeus, Istanbul, and Malta Offshore have good availability across all three grades, a trader said.

In the Greek port of Piraeus, lead times of 3-5 days are advised for VLSFO and LSMGO, while HSFO is checked on the demand stage, a trader said. Turkey’s Istanbul port requires lead times of 3-5 days for all grades. Off Malta, similar lead times of 3-5 days are recommended, the trader added. 

Africa

VLSFO availability is tight in the South African ports of Durban and Richards Bay, a trader said. Lead times of 7-10 days are advised for the grade in both ports. LSMGO supply remains dry in Durban. Suppliers have been out of stock since January. 

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal off Luanda, a source told ENGINE. Lead times of 4-5 days are advised for optimal coverage.  

Bunker availability is good at Mozambique’s Nacala and Maputo ports, a source said. Nacala has normal availability across all three bunker grades, while LSMGO and VLSFO are well stocked in Maputo. 

Meanwhile, extreme windy weather conditions are forecast in Cape Town until Friday, according to a recent advisory issued by Danish shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk). This may trigger bunkering disruptions in the port area. Similarly, disruptions may also occur in Port Elizabeth, adjacent to Algoa Bay, as the advisory states bad weather is forecast in the port area for Thursday and Friday. 

By Manjula Nair

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