Europe & Africa Fuel Availability Outlook 5 Aug

Prompt fuel availability is tight in ARA

ULSFO and VLSFO availability is tight off Malta

Fuel availability is tight in Las Palmas

IMAGE: Tankers during a bunker operation off Malta. Getty Images

Northwest Europe

Prompt bunker availability is tight in the ARA, with buyers recommended lead times of 5-7 days to secure supplies of any fuel grade, a trader said.

The ARA's independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 1% lower in July, compared to June's monthly average, according to Insights Global data.

The ARA hub has imported only 161,000 b/d of fuel oil in July, a sharp drop from June's monthly average of 215,000 b/d, according to Vortexa cargo data. Shipments arrived from Syria (28%), France (17%) and Sweden (13%), among other countries.

Meanwhile, the region's independent gasoil inventories - which include diesel and heating oil – have dropped by 10% in July, compared to June, according to the Insights Global data. Gasoil inventories have dropped to their lowest level in nearly four years.

The region has imported 129,000 b/d of gasoil in July, down considerably from 188,000 b/d imported in June, according to Vortexa data. Most of these shipments have come from Sweden (24%), the UK (16%) and the US (13%).

Rotterdam’s LSMGO price has increased by around 20% in the past month, while VLSFO price has gained only 8%, ENGINE’s price data showed.

Bunker availability is stable in Germany’s Hamburg, and deliveries of any fuel grade can be secured within five days, a trader told ENGINE.

Fuel availability is tight off Denmark’s Skaw and in Sweden’s Gothenburg, and buyers are recommended booking deliveries around 10 days ahead for any fuel grade, according to a trader.

Mediterranean

Bunker fuel availability is tight in the Gibraltar Strait ports, with buyers recommended lead times of around a week to secure deliveries of any fuel grade, a trader said.

Some suppliers could be delayed by 12-14 hours in Gibraltar, while some suppliers in Algeciras may run around 2-13 hours behind schedule, port agent MH Bland said.

Bunker fuel buyers can secure deliveries in Barcelona with a lead time of seven days, a trader said.

In Las Palmas, bunker fuel availability is tight, and buyers are advised lead times of 10–12 days for HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries, a trader told ENGINE.

Offshore Malta, VLSFO bunker availability is tight for prompt supplies, and buyers are advised lead times of up to a week, a trader said. ULSFO deliveries may require about 5-6 days, while LSMGO availability is more prompt with a notice of 2-5 days sufficient to get supplies, the trader added.

Fuel availability is tight in Greece’s Piraeus, and buyers looking for HSFO, VLSFO, LSMGO and ULSFO supplies are advised to book with a lead time of around 5-7 days, a trader said.

VLSFO availability is tight in Istanbul, and suppliers are recommended booking with lead times of between 5-7 days, a trader said. LSMGO is available more promptly in the port, the trader added.

Fuel oil and marine gas oil availability is tight in Turkey’s Istanbul, a local supplier told ENGINE.

Buyers looking to bunker in Istanbul are advised 1-3 days of notice for LSMGO and ULSFO, 2-4 days for VLSFO supplies, and 4-7 days of lead time for HSFO, a trader said.

Fuel availability is low in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, a local supplier said.

Africa

HSFO availability is tight in most African ports, with suppliers reporting very limited avails.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is tight in Lome and off Walvis Bay for prompt delivery dates, a trader said. Buyers are advised booking deliveries at least seven days in advance, a trader told ENGINE.

VLSFO deliveries at the Lagos anchorage requires 5–7 days of notice, a local supplier told ENGINE.

Prompt VLSFO availability is tight off Algoa Bay, with buyers advised at least 5–7 days of notice, a trader said.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is stable in Durban, a trader said.

Bunker availability is tight in Port Louis, with suppliers quoting earliest delivery dates around 10-14 days out for VLSFO and LSMGO, a trader said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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