HSFO tightens on East Coast

Panama reports weak demand

Itaqui lead times improve

IMAGE: Corpus Christi Bay featuring the city skyline and marina. Getty Images.

North America

Bunker fuel demand in Houston has seen a modest uptick this week. Availability of HSFO has tightened significantly, with current recommended lead times of 10–12 days and premiums rising accordingly.

VLSFO supply has also been tightening in Houston, but is relatively better than HSFO, with suppliers recommending 5–7 days of lead time. LSMGO, meanwhile, remains readily available and can typically be delivered within five days.

“Houston demand had been a bit down for us, but we’ve seen a slight pickup in the past few days. The East Coast, however, remains very tight for both HSFO and VLSFO,” a bunker trader told ENGINE.

Availability is also normal at nearby bunkering hub Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA). All three grades can be delivered between 4-5 days.

LNG bunkering is also available at the anchorage and lead times typically stand at roughly 7 days.

Off Corpus Christi, fuel availability is decent, and suppliers can deliver HSFO and LSMGO between 5-6 days.

In Corpus Christ, the current airdraft is 138 feet. The old Harbor Bridge is scheduled for removal around 19-21 October, with the new airdraft expected to increase to 165 feet after the center span is removed (subject to port confirmation), a source said.

The port has thus requested a 36-hour channel closure from 3pm on 19 October to 3pm on 21 October to safely dismantle the bridge. There could be a short-term impact on bunkering operations at Corpus Christi during the bridge demolition.

In New York, bunker demand has stayed strong this week, and availability conditions largely mirror those in Houston.

HSFO and VLSFO remain tight, with suppliers advising 6–8 days of lead time. LSMGO has good availability, and the earliest delivery date for the grade is within 1–2 days.

The National Hurricane Center has issued advisories for hurricane Humberto and Imelda in the Atlantic, and for tropical storm Octave in the Eastern Pacific.

Marine warnings are currently in effect for the Atlantic, Southwest North Atlantic, and the Eastern Pacific.

These developments come amid the ongoing hurricane season, which continues to drive heightened storm activity across the basins.

On the West Coast, for Los Angeles, bunker suppliers are currently tight on availability, with recommended lead times of around seven days.

“We are advising buyers to plan at least a week ahead, as prompt slots are very limited right now,” a trader said.

The port is expecting three fewer container ships in the coming week, with arrivals projected to drop to 16, according to the port’s official tracker.

The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are also exploring methanol as an alternative marine fuel through a pilot project.

Recently, they have piqued interest in an initiative aimed at testing safe and scalable methanol bunkering operations in collaboration with C40 Cities and local authorities.

In Montreal, Canada, weather conditions this week are generally favorable for bunkering, with calm winds below 15 knots and sunny skies.

However, barge operations at the port are limited to daylight hours, and bunker deliveries may face delays due to restricted barge availability.

Latin America and the Caribbean

The bunker market in Panama is reported to have softened this week. Both, Balboa and Cristóbal, have good availability across all three fuel grades, with deliveries possible within 3–5 days.

“A few suppliers at Balboa are facing operational challenges and cannot offer stems for prompt delivery, but overall supply remains stable,” a bunker trader told ENGINE.

In the Bahamas, Freeport can accommodate deliveries of VLSFO and LSMGO within 6-7 days, while in Jamaica’s Kingston, lead times for both grades extend to 8-9 days.

Colombian ports including Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Barranquilla report healthy stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO, with recommended lead times of three days.

Brazil’s bunker supply market remains tight for VLSFO and LSMGO, with congestion affecting earliest deliveries in some major ports.

In Santos, prompt slots are limited, with earliest deliveries generally pushed out by 5–7 days. Rio de Janeiro reports VLSFO and LSMGO available from 7 October.

OPL Sepetiba can supply both grades, though availability is tight, with lead times of 4–5 days.

Salvador’s earliest VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries are scheduled for 6 October.

Paranagua has VLSFO ready with lead times of 3–4 days, but LSMGO remains scarce. Rio Grande and Belem/Vila do Conde both report VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries possible within 4–5 days.

At Itaqui, earliest availability for both grades is projected for 9 October, roughly 7–8 days from now, an improvement from previous lead times of up to two weeks.

Suppliers are advising buyers to plan early and maintain flexible lifting windows due to ongoing congestion and high demand.

In Argentina’s Zona Común, VLSFO and LSMGO remain well supplied, with lead times of 5–7 days. Weather is expected to stay normal through the week until 5 October, after which occasional high wind gusts may affect the anchorage, leading to minor delays.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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