Europe & Africa Fuel Availability Outlook 1 Apr

East Mediterranean ports see high demand

Malta sees rough weather

High demand increases lead times in West Africa

IMAGE: Lome Harbour in Togo. Getty Images

Northwest Europe

Availability of all fuel grades is stable in the ARA bunkering hub, but buyers are recommended to enquire about stems around five days ahead to get competitive offers from a wide selection of suppliers, a trader said.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks slumped 20% lower in March, according to Insights Global data.

The region imported around 160,000 b/d of fuel oil in March, down from 192,000 b/d imported in February, according to cargo tracker Vortexa. Most supplies have arrived from Denmark (21%), Poland (14%) and Libya (13%).

The region’s independent gasoil inventories - which include diesel and heating oil – have dipped 1% lower in March, compared to February.

The ARA imported 289,000 b/d of gasoil, down from the 304,000 b/d in February, according to Vortexa data. Around 27% of cargo volumes have come from Kuwait, while the US has sent around 24%.

In Germany’s Hamburg, buyers are being advised to book stems with a lead time of five days, a trader said.

Bunker fuel availability is very tight in Sweden’s Gothenburg and off Denmark’s Skaw, a trader told ENGINE.

Mediterranean

Securing supplies promptly is challenging in the Gibraltar Strait ports, and buyers are advised to book around seven days in advance to secure supplies of any fuel grade, a trader said.

Demand is stable in the Port of Gibraltar, with around 40 vessels expected to call for bunkers between 1-8 April, shipping agent A Mateos & Sons said.

Congestion caused in the port last week due to rough weather conditions has completely cleared as of Wednesday morning, port agent MH Bland said.

In Barcelona, buyers are usually requested to give a week’s notice for any delivery, but supplies can be arranged sometimes on a prompt basis, a trader told ENGINE.

Bunker availability is tight in the Canary Islands bunkering hub of Las Palmas, a trader said. Suppliers are giving earliest delivery dates around 10 days out for stems with competitive prices, the trader added.

Bunkering operations are currently being conducted in the inner anchorage and at the berth due to rough seas, port agent MH Bland said.

Malta is experiencing rough winds of more than 25 knots and waves of more than 2.5 metres, and the conditions are expected to persist until 3 February.

Bunkering operations off Malta have been currently suspended, port agent MH Bland said.

Some operations can be conducted in the sheltered Area 1 and Area 4, and operations are expected to resume normally in the offshore area around Saturday, shipping agent WMR told ENGINE.

Bunker demand has decreased recently off Malta, a trader said.

Fuel availability is steady in the Greece’s Piraeus, but high demand for bunkers is causing operational challenges related to barge and berth availability, a local supplier said. The port may face tight product availability around late April or early May if the conflict continues and crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz continue to remain disrupted, the supplier added.  

Fuel availability is stable in Turkey's Istanbul and demand is very strong, a local supplier told ENGINE. Buyers are securing bunkers as they anticipate tight availability next month, the supplier added.

Africa

Ships re-routing around the Cape of Good Hope have increased bunker demand in African ports, suppliers and traders told ENGINE.

West African ports are experiencing low product availability as demand is rising and supply is not able to keep up, a major supplier in West Africa said.

Lead times have increased significantly in many bunkering hubs due to the additional demand.

In Togo’s Lome and off Namibia’s Walvis Bay, buyers are recommended to enquire about stems around 10-11 days ahead, a trader said.

In Angola’s Luanda, one supplier has stopped supplying VLSFO, while LSMGO supplies may need around 7-10 days of notice, a supplier told ENGINE.

Getting VLSFO supplies in Nigeria’s Lagos anchorage also requires around 10 days of notice, a local supplier said.

In South Africa, availability is stable off Algoa Bay, a trader said. In Durban, LSMGO is priced around $3000/mt.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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