Europe & Africa Fuel Availability Outlook 19 Aug

ARA availability remains tight for prompt dates

Supply under pressure in some Scandinavian locations

4-5 days of lead time in Luanda

IMAGE: Aerial view of the Port of Gothenburg. Gothenburg Port Authority

Northwest Europe

In the ARA, fuel availability remains tight for prompt supplies, with buyers advised lead times of 5-7 days to get good coverage from suppliers, a trader said.

The ARA's independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 5% higher in August so far, compared to July's monthly average, according to Insights Global data.

The region has imported 381,000 b/d of fuel oil to date in August, a sharp increase from July’s monthly average of 159,000 b/d, according to Vortexa cargo flows data. Most shipment volumes have come from Venezuela (21%), Benin (20%) and Lithuania (10%).

Meanwhile, the region has imported 129,000 b/d of gasoil by mid-August, up from an average of 119,000 b/d imported in June, according to Vortexa data. The biggest import sources have been the US (26%), the UK (11%) and France (8%).

Fuel availability is stable in Germany’s Hamburg, and buyers are advised a notice of five days to get delivery of any fuel grade, a trader told ENGINE.

In Sweden’s Gothenburg and in the bunker area off Denmark’s Skaw, deliveries may require longer lead times of 10-14 days, a trader told ENGINE.

Mediterranean

Bunker supplies are tight for prompt delivery dates in Gibraltar Strait ports, with buyers recommended a lead time of around 7-10 days to get good coverage from the area's suppliers, a trader told ENGINE.

Demand is strong in Gibraltar. Around 12 vessels queued to bunker in the port on Wednesday morning, port agent MH Bland said.

In Spain’s Barcelona, buyers can secure supplies with a lead time of at least seven days, a trader said.

Fuel supplies are tight in Las Palmas, with buyers recommended earliest delivery dates of around 10 days out, a trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO, ULSFO and LSMGO availability is stable in the bunker areas off Malta. Buyers are still recommended around seven days of notice to get supplies, a trader said.

Prompt fuel availability is tight in Greece’s Piraeus, with buyers recommended lead times of 5-7 days, a trader said.

VLSFO and ULSFO availability is stable in Türkiye's Istanbul, while LSMGO availability is tight, a local supplier informed ENGINE.

Africa

VLSFO and LSMGO are readily available in the Senegalese port of Dakar, a supplier told ENGINE.

In Togo’s Lome, availability is tight for prompt supplies of VLSFO and LSMGO, with buyers recommended lead times of 5-7 days for both fuel grades.

Off Namibia’s Walvis Bay, VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries are possible with a lead time of 5-7 days, a trader said. The weather is an issue in the area, with swells of more than 2 metres forecast continuously between 19 and 24 August. That can complicate offshore supplies.

VLSFO deliveries at the Lagos anchorage require 5-7 days’ lead time, a local supplier told ENGINE.

A supplier in Angola’s Luanda advised a lead time of 4-5 days to get supplies of VLSFO and LSMGO.

VLSFO availability is tight off Algoa Bay for prompt supplies, with buyers advised a lead time of at least a week, a trader said.

Bunker availability is tight in Port Louis, with suppliers quoting delivery dates in September at the earliest for all fuel grades, a trader said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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