Northwest Europe

In the ARA bunkering hub, VLSFO and LSMGO are tight for prompt delivery dates, with buyers recommending lead times of around 5-7 days for both grades, a trader said. HSFO remains more readily available, with shorter advised lead times of about 2-4 days.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have held steady with December’s average, according to Insights Global data.

The region has imported 248,000 b/d of fuel oil in January so far, up from the 188,000 b/d imported in December, according to cargo tracker Vortexa. Most cargo volumes have come from Nigeria (16%), Brazil, Poland (12%) and Greece (10%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have edged 2% higher in January compared to December, according to the Insights Global data.

The ARA has imported 257,000 b/d of gasoil in January, slightly higher than the 244,000 b/d imported in December, according to Vortexa data. A majority of the shipment volumes have arrived from India (33%) and the US (17%).

Bunker supplies are readily available in Hamburg, with lead times of around 3–5 days recommended, a trader said.

In Sweden’s Gothenburg and off Denmark’s Skaw, buyers are advised to book bunker stems with lead times of more than 10 days across all fuel grades, a trader told ENGINE.

Mediterranean

Bunker operations have been disrupted by bad weather in Gibraltar Strait. Winds of around 30 knots and waves of more than 2 metres have been forecast intermittently until 9 February.
Inbound vessel traffic has been suspended in Gibraltar, while port operations and bunkering remain suspended in the ports of Algeciras and Ceuta, port agent MH Bland said.

Congestion has been building in Gibraltar. Around 42 vessels were waiting for bunkers on Wednesday, up from 24 vessels on Tuesday, the port agent said.

Algeciras has also seen some congestion, and some suppliers are not accepting more vessels due to the port closure, a source said.

Buyers advised to give longer lead times of around 8-10 days for booking stems of any fuel type in these ports, a trader told ENGINE.

In Barcelona, suppliers require around 5-7 days of notice to arrange supplies of any fuel grade, a trader said.

In Las Palmas, the earliest bunker deliveries across all fuel grades are available from 7 February, a trader told ENGINE.

Swells of above 2 metres are forecast in the Spanish port until early February. Supplies are currently being carried out only at the inner anchorage and at berth, but delays are expected because of a lack of space in these areas, port agent MH Bland said.

In Portugal’s Lisbon, adverse weather conditions are preventing vessels above 30,000 gross tonnes from calling at the port. Pilotage via Cascais is not expected to be possible until 5 February, a supplier said. For vessels below this tonnage, bunker availability remains normal, with lead times of around 3-5 days.

Storm Harry has severely damaged a major blending and storage facility in Malta, which is expected to affect bunker availability, a trader said. Limited deliveries are possible from smaller depots, while one supplier can provide ship-to-ship LSMGO deliveries from a tanker.

Consequently, bunker supplies off Malta are tight, and suppliers are providing an earliest delivery date of around 4 February, the trader said.

Unsuitable weather conditions are forecast to persist off Malta until the first week of February. Deliveries are currently carried out in Bunkering Area 1, port agent MH Bland said.

In Greece’s Piraeus, there is still only limited demand for VLSFO, a source said.

In Istanbul, VLSFO and ULSFO grades are unavailable, while LSMGO supplies are easily available, a local supplier told ENGINE.

Africa

HSFO supplies are very tight in Togo’s Lome and off Namibia’s Walvis Bay, while LSMGO and VLSFO can be delivered with lead times of about 5-7 days at both locations, according to a trader.

HSFO and VLSFO are readily available in South Africa’s Durban and Richards Bay, with lead times of around 2-4 days advised.

In Mauritius’ Port Louis, HSFO and VLSFO availability is very tight, while LSMGO deliveries can be arranged with lead times of about 5-7 days, a trader told ENGINE.
Source: By Nachiket Tekawade, ENGINE, https://www.engine.online/news