Global Markets Fuel Availability Outlook 24 Dec

Prompt availability very tight across all grades in Singapore

Bunker availability tight in Houston

VLSFO supply tight in Las Palmas

IMAGE: Cargo terminal at the Port of Singapore. Getty Images

East of Suez

Bunker fuel availability in Singapore is extremely tight this week. Very few suppliers are offering small HSFO parcels, with premiums applied for quantities of 500 mt and below. VLSFO availability is expected to improve after 28 December, while HSFO is likely to become more readily available after 4 January.

At Malaysia’s Port Klang, both VLSFO and LSMGO remain easy to secure, particularly for smaller prompt orders.

Bunker suppliers in Zhoushan are still recommending 3-6 days of lead time for all grades, little changed from 4-7 days last week. Availability is extremely tight across all grades in South Korea, a source said.

Across Taiwan’s Keelung and Hualien ports, VLSFO and LSMGO are generally available within two days, consistent with last week. Both grades can be delivered within three days in Taichung and Kaohsiung.

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

Prompt bunker supply in Fujairah remains tight across all grades. Most bunker suppliers are not entertaining bigger stems due to “instability of the market” and shortage of cargo, another source said. However, urgent stems can be arranged at a premium, another source noted.

Meanwhile, in Egypt’s Port Suez, stocks of VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO are nearly depleted.

In Iraq’s Basrah, VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good, while HSFO supply remains tight. LSMGO supply has improved in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, while VLSFO availability is still tight there.

Europe and Africa

Prompt bunker supply remains tight in the ARA bunkering hub, with buyers advised to book LSMGO, VLSFO and HSFO stems around 5-7 days in advance to secure offers from a wide range of suppliers, a trader told ENGINE.

Notably, from 1 January 2026, bunker supplies at Dutch ports will fall under the country’s regulatory framework implementing the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). This is expected to increase bunker costs, as suppliers pass on related compliance expenses.

RED III-related premiums will also apply to deliveries originally scheduled for December 2025 that are shifted into January 2026, a trader said. Additionally, the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp will require all bunker deliveries to be made by certified mass flow meter (MFM)-equipped barges from 1 January 2026.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have increased 3% in December to date, according to Insights Global data. The region’s independent gasoil inventories - which include diesel and heating oil - have fallen by 9% so far this month, according to the Insights Global data.

Securing prompt bunker deliveries can be difficult in the Gibraltar Strait, and buyers are advised to enquire about stems around a week in advance to avoid higher premiums, a trader told ENGINE.

In Las Palmas and Tenerife, VLSFO supply is very tight, with recommended lead times of about two weeks, a trader said. For HSFO and LSMGO deliveries, buyers are advised to book at least a week ahead, the trader added.

LSMGO and ULSFO supplies remain readily available off Malta, while VLSFO and HSFO supplies have tightened since last week, a trader said. Availability remains stable in Turkey’s Istanbul, with 1-3 days of notice sufficient for all deliveries, a trader said.

In South Africa’s Durban and Richards Bay, VLSFO deliveries require only 2-4 days of notice, while HSFO may require around a week, a trader told ENGINE. 

Americas

Bunker demand in Houston remains steady, while supply of all grades has tightened this week. According to market sources, suppliers have been keeping inventories below typical levels to avoid year-end tax liabilities associated with carrying product into the new year.

As a result, suppliers are advising longer lead times this week, with HSFO and VLSFO deliveries requiring more than seven days. LSMGO can be delivered within 5-7 days.

The US Gulf is currently in its fog season. Dense fog has engulfed the region, leading to frequent port suspensions and causing delays in both bunker deliveries and schedules, a trader told ENGINE.

The Port of Houston has been facing intermittent closures due to dense fog and poor visibility along the US Gulf Coast. While it briefly reopened to inbound traffic on Tuesday, it was later forced to shut to all vessel movements again that day.

In New York, demand for HSFO and VLSFO is steady, with recommended lead times of 6–9 days. For LSMGO deliveries, most suppliers are recommending lead times of 2–3 days. A small craft advisory is currently in effect at New York Harbour, where high wind gusts reaching up to 30 knots are expected.

In Panama, bunker fuel demand has improved in the last quarter of the year. At the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered within 5–7 days, while LSMGO may require 4–6 days.

In Zona Comun, a period of potential disruptions is expected to continue until 29 December due to high wind gusts across the anchorage. This could result in brief delays to bunker deliveries, a source said. Both VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered within 5-7 days.

By Aparupa Mazumder, Gautamee Hazarika and Nachiket Tekawade

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