East of Suez Fuel Availability Outlook 16 Dec

Bunker availability tight in Singapore

Bunker demand slow in Zhoushan

VLSFO and LSMGO availability good in Taiwanese ports

IMAGE: An aerial view of Taichung Port. Taiwan Free Trade Zone 1

Singapore and Malaysia

Bunker fuel availability in Singapore is very tight this week, with VLSFO lead times at around 10 days now, from last week’s 4–12 days. VLSFO availability is expected to improve after 21 December.

LSMGO and HSFO also require similar advance notice, from previously 5-8 days and 3-9 days respectively. Only a handful of suppliers can offer small HSFO parcels in Singapore, a source said.

At Malaysia’s Port Klang, both VLSFO and LSMGO remain easy to secure — particularly for smaller prompt orders — while HSFO continues to face limited availability.

East Asia

Zhoushan’s bunker demand continues to remain weak, with suppliers still recommend 4–7 days for all grades, unchanged from last week.

Bunker operations at northern China, which were disrupted by adverse weather in the last two days, have resumed today.

Supply conditions vary across northern Chinese ports, with Dalian and Qingdao meeting VLSFO and LSMGO demand. HSFO availability is still tight in Qingdao. Tianjin remains short across all grades, while Shanghai reports limited VLSFO and HSFO but steady LSMGO availability.

Lead times for all fuel grades in Hong Kong remain stable at roughly seven days, though supply conditions are tight for HSFO and LSMGO, and particularly constrained for VLSFO.

Across Taiwan’s major ports — Keelung, Taichung, Hualien, and Kaohsiung — VLSFO and LSMGO are generally available within two days, consistent with last week. 

Bunker availability is extremely tight across all grades in South Korea, despite demand being sluggish, with most suppliers now recommending 3-11 days of lead time – increasing from last week’s 2-5 days.

In Japan, prompt VLSFO and HSFO remains tight at key ports, including Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama and Kawasaki.

A fire at Idemitsu Kosan’s Yokkaichi refinery on 21 November has disrupted production and sharply drawn down stock levels, with prompt availability expected to remain constrained in Osaka, Kobe, Sakai and Mizushima through year-end.

Oceania

Prompt VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good in Western Australia, with lead times in Kwinana and Fremantle holding at roughly seven days. In New South Wales, stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO remain ample in Sydney, though HSFO is tight, with suppliers quoting lead times of 7 days.

Brisbane and Gladstone also have good VLSFO and LSMGO availability, with both ports typically operating on lead times of about seven days. HSFO is supplied on an enquiry basis in Brisbane.

VLSFO and LSMGO remain well supplied in Victoria’s Melbourne and Geelong. HSFO availability is limited in Geelong, although it is sufficient in Melbourne. Lead times are holding at about seven days.

Bunker supply conditions in New Zealand remain steady, with ample VLSFO availability reported at Tauranga and Auckland. Meanwhile, Australia’s northern cyclone season, which runs from November through April, is expected to cause periodic disruptions, with forecasts calling for 9 to 11 cyclones this year.

South Asia

Bad weather condition in Sri Lanka’s Colombo may disrupt bunker deliveries at the port this week.

Middle East

In Fujairah, prompt bunker supply continues to remain tight across all grades. Most bunker suppliers are still recommending 5-7 days of lead time, although urgent stems can be arranged at a premium, another source noted.

Most suppliers in Fujairah are not entertaining bigger stems due to “instability of the market and due to shortage of cargo,” the source added.

Conditions in nearby Khor Fakkan mirror this tightness. Meanwhile, in Egypt’s Port Suez, stocks of VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO are nearly depleted. Djibouti has exhausted VLSFO and HSFO stocks.

In Iraq’s Basrah, VLSFO and LSMGO are good for prompt availability, while HSFO continues to be limited. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah has seen an improvement in LSMGO supply, though VLSFO availability remains tight.

Qatar’s Ras Laffan is also tight on VLSFO and LSMGO. VLSFO supply is only possible via barge at the anchorage. A similar situation is noted at Oman’s Duqm port.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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