• 2019 October 21 09:24

    MABUX: Bunker market this morning, Oct 21

    The Bunker Review was contributed by Marine Bunker Exchange (MABUX)

    MABUX World Bunker Index (consists of a range of prices for 380 HSFO, 180 HSFO and MGO (Gasoil) in the main world hubs) continued slight downward trend on Oct.18:

    380 HSFO - USD/MT – 361.02 (-3.77)
    180 HSFO - USD/MT – 404.08 (-3.62)
    MGO - USD/MT – 661.00 (-0.52)


    Meantime, world oil indexes changed insignificant and irregular on Oct.18: concerns about China’s economy outweighed bullish signals from its refining sector.

    Brent for December settlement decreased by $0.49 to $59.42 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. West Texas Intermediate for November delivery dropped by $0.15 to $53.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The Brent benchmark traded at the premium of $5.64 to WTI. Gasoil for November gained $5.25.

    Today morning oil indexes demonstrate slight downward evolution.

    U.S. oil inventories soared for the latest week, rising much more than the market expected. Crude stockpiles jumped 9.3 million barrels last week compared to expectations for a rise of about 2.9 million barrels. The buildup in U.S. stockpiles comes amid broader concerns of slowing global demand, as U.S.-China trade tensions continue to take a toll on the world-wide economy. At the same time this can pressure OPEC+ members to trigger deeper supply cuts.

    The joint technical committee monitoring a global oil production pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and partners found that compliance is being exceeded, with cuts for September representing 236% of agreed quotas.  OPEC and its allies, including Russia, have agreed to limit oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) until March 2020. OPEC lowered its 2019 global oil demand growth forecast to 0.98 million bpd while leaving its 2020 demand growth estimate unchanged at 1.08 million bpd.

    China’s economic growth slowed to 6% year on year in the third quarter, its weakest for 27-1/2 years and below expectations, dogged by soft factory production and continuing trade tensions with the United States. China’s September refinery throughput, however, was up 9.4% year on year at 56.49 million tonnes, boosted by new refineries and some independent refiners resuming operations after maintenance. Meantime, U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators are working on nailing down a Phase 1 trade deal text for their presidents to sign next month.

    Russian Company Rosneft has temporarily suspended works at one block in Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan due to security concerns because of the blocks’ proximity to the Syrian border. It was reported, that in view of the current unrest in Syria, with the Turkish offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria, Rosneft has decided to temporarily halt works on block 8 because it is close to the Iraqi Kurdistan’s border with Syria. Rosneft continues works on block 11 in Kurdistan. This year the Russian company launched exploration works in Kurdistan. The exploration work is set to continue next year and could take several years to complete.

    The British government insisted on Oct.18 the country will leave the European Union on Oct. 31 despite a letter that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced by parliament to send to the bloc requesting a Brexit delay. Johnson’s defeat in the British parliament over the sequencing of the ratification of his deal exposed the prime minister to a law passed by those opposed to a no deal departure, demanding he request a delay until Jan. 31. Johnson sent the request note as required, but unsigned, and added another signed letter arguing against what he cast as a deeply corrosive delay. One of his most senior ministers said Britain would still leave the bloc on Oct. 31.

    More than 30 oil tankers have anchored in the Malacca Strait off Singapore and Malaysia. The flotilla has been expanding for months as traders amass supplies of fuel that comply with new shipping standards IMO 2020. In April, at least five vessels laden with low-sulfur fuel oil and blending components were sitting off Singapore. Traders and bunker oil suppliers have secured fuels that can meet the new specifications, or create a blend comprising oil such as gasoil, low-sulfur fuel oil, low-sulfur crude oil, high-sulfur fuel oil and other components. Crude oil grades such as Australia’s Pyrenees, Vincent, Stag and Barrow Island, Brazil’s Atlanta and Ostra Blend, Congo’s Emeraude Blend, North Sea’s Clair and Thailand’s Wassana are also being hoarded on tankers in the Strait. Lack of storage capacity for 380 HSFO in the region pushed prices for this type of fuel further up in recent weeks.

    Tankers that had been scheduled to install emissions-cutting equipment ahead of stricter pollution standards starting in 2020 have deferred their visits to the dry docks to capitalize on an unexpected surge in freight rates. U.S. sanctions on subsidiaries of vast Chinese shipping fleet Cosco in September sparked a surge in global oil shipping rates as traders scrambled to find non-blacklisted vessels to get their oil to market. The rates for chartering a supertanker from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Singapore hit record highs of more than $17 million and a record $22 million to China earlier this week. The extraordinary spike in freight rates proved too good to miss for some shipowners who were due to send vessels to the dry docks for lengthy retrofitting and maintenance work. The shortage of ships to move crude oil was so acute that some shipowners also switched from carrying so-called 'clean' or refined fuels like gasoline to 'dirty' cargoes that include crude oil, despite the costs of having to clean them later. For scrubbers to be fitted, ships must be sidelined between 30 to 60 days.

    We expect bunker prices may change irregular today in a range of plus-minus 2-4 USD.




2024 March 28

12:53 United European Car Carriers UECC spearheads collaboration with industry leaders to advance CNSL as a sustainable marine fuel
12:26 Ocean Network Express announces Transpacific service
11:48 Yang Ming announces 2025 Trans-Pacific service network
11:24 Fincantieri signs contract for the supply of two PPAs to Indonesia
10:42 Maersk transported more than 660,000 TEU using clean fuel in 2023
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2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
17:58 The recently converted Allseas's shallow water pipelay barge starts preparations for its first commercial project
17:38 The Port of Rotterdam calls on the European Commission and Parliament to focus on actively promoting green energy
15:23 SEFE to become sole shareholder of WIGA
14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
14:23 Cadeler signs offshore wind turbine installation contract for the vessel Wind Scylla
13:42 Carnival Cruise Line orders 5th Excel-class cruise ship
13:11 Maersk and MSC overcharging cargo owners for EU ETS, says T&E
12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
12:11 Clarkson Port Services and Peak Group collaborate to deliver Port Agency services across the North Sea
11:42 Wan Hai Lines holds ship naming ceremony for new vessels
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10:49 Seaspan Shipyards receives long-term contracts for the pre-construction work of the the Canadian Coast Guard's first six multi-mission vessels
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2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
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17:04 Sanctions complicate Arctic LNG ship sales, Hanwha Ocean says - Bloomberg
16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
15:50 Hanwha Ocean develops VR-based special vehicle simulator
15:20 TotalEnergies and SINOPEC join forces to produce sustainable jet fuel at a SINOPEC's refinery
14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
13:51 Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge
13:12 Final sanctioned tanker with Russian Sokol oil to reach China port - Reuters
12:42 Adani Ports acquires 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port from SP Group for $162 million
12:21 IHI and Yara Clean Ammonia agree to jointly assess clean ammonia business collaboration
11:41 Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane granted safety permit to build world's first low emission ammonia bunkering terminal
11:16 Wartsila and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
10:46 A global carbon tax on shipping is coming, says ABS Chairman and CEO
10:21 Eni, Fincantieri and RINA establish partnership for maritime transport decarbonization

2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
17:31 “K” Line, NIPPON HAKUYO and OPT Gate sign an agreement for a new fire detection system for car carriers
17:07 Greek merchant fleet recorded slight decline in January 2024
16:47 Hanwha Ocean Plans to develop green technology and naval ships
16:25 U-Ming Singapore and ITOCHU sign milestone MoU for the joint development of ammonia dual-fuel and de-carbonized vessels
15:34 Svitzer targets methanol-fuelled MAN 175DF-M engine for tug application
15:04 Wallenius Wilhelmsen signs contracts for four 9,300 CEU vessels with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard
14:40 Taiwan International Port to upgrade terminal facility at Kaohsiung
13:59 Сruise ship Carnival Freedom catches fire near Bahamas
12:59 Hanwha Ocean wins 2.4 tln-won order for 8 LNG ships
11:16 Inland Ports meet in Paris to talk about the innovation potential of inland ports
10:50 IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”
10:24 Hapag-Lloyd to continue to avoid the Red Sea route
09:58 QatarEnergy enters time charter agreements with Nakilat for the operation of 25 LNG vessels

2024 March 24

16:18 Inchgreen Marine Park upgraded as part of £11m investment
15:14 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Solent Rail Terminal Rail was held at the Port of Southampton
14:08 ESNA and Strategic Marine join forces to offer Surface Effect Ship (“SES”) Crew Transfer Vessels (“CTV”) to the market
13:07 First LNG powered vessel calls at HIP
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09:25 Edda Wind announces the sale of Edda Passat

2024 March 23

17:19 Maersk opens new warehouse facility in Tijuana, Mexico for cross-border capabilities
14:01 Bollinger Shipyard marks keel laying ceremony for 10th Navajo-class T-ATS
13:55 MEYER WERFT and Disney Cruise Line celebrate keel laying
12:19 HSL completes repair work on DEME's dredger TSHD Bonny River
10:53 Turkish shipbuilder delivers RAscal 1500 ASD tug to French port

2024 March 22

18:07 Lloyd's Register releases a report on the operational and safety issues of the use of ammonia as a marine fuel
17:17 RINA supports Mongolia's to develop a roadmap for long-term strategy according to Paris Agreement
16:47 MOL Coastal Shipping to start concept study on large coastal ammonia carrier
16:23 MAN 51/60DF engine passes 10 mln operational hours milestone
15:56 TotalEnergies restarts gas production at the Tyra offshore hub after a major redevelopment
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