World Fuel Services News

World Fuel Services Corporation has completed a milestone liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation for the refueling of a carrier at a Chinese port, with the new Hapag-Lloyd ship Berlin Express becoming only the second carrier to be refueled with bonded LNG in the port.With the support of both the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port authority and local supplier CNOOC, the dual-fuel Berlin Express took delivery of 6,000 cubic meters of bonded LNG fuel in an operation that lasted around 20 hours.

Operating on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from day one in service, the MV George III, the first of Pasha Group’s two new ‘Ohana Class’, Jones Act-qualified containerships, features a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller. George III is the first LNG-powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-ft. Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels.

The new chief executive of Trafigura's marine fuels joint venture TFG Marine will leave the business at the end of September, the company said on Monday without disclosing the reason for his departure.Anders Gronborg was appointed CEO in April after ending a 27-year career at World Fuel Services in 2018.The company and Gronborg have agreed to part in a "mutually agreed exit", a company spokeswoman said in an emailed statement, adding that his last day will be Sept. 30."The Board…

Trafigura's marine fuels joint venture TFG Marine said on Wednesday that Anders Gronborg had been appointed as its chief executive to oversee expansion efforts.Gronborg ended 27 years at World Fuel Services in 2018, most recently as global head of marine fuel supplies.He also served as senior vice president and board member for World Fuel Services affiliates.Trafigura holds a majority stake in TFG, whose other two owners are tanker firm Frontline and dry bulk carrier Golden Ocean. (Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Alexander Smith)

World Fuel Services (WFS) reports that it has extended its capacity in the port of Gibraltar with the addition of two barges to its physical bunker operations.  The barges, dedicated to Marine Gasoil and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, also offer the option for multiple product segregation. This new operational set-up with the modern and SIRE inspected barges, allows WFS to provide for a vast range of supply options for all vessel types, supplying up to 15,000 MT in one single barge trip.

Dubai-based shipowner United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has filed suit against Miami-based marine fuels provider World Fuels Services (WFS) seeking relief from damages incurred through the bunkering of off-spec fuel oil in 2016, reports Arabian Industry.UASC is seeking relief from damages incurred through the bunkering of the off-spec fuel oil, according to the suit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 27 June, 2018.The Middle East shipping giant claims that on or about 21 September 2016, it entered into contract with WFS for delivery of 3,500-4,200 tons of high-sulphur 380cst bunker fuel for containership UASC JILFAR in the port of Kavkaz…

World Fuel Services (WFS) said it will supply fuel oil and marine diesel from a new physical marine fuel supply location in Port Manatee in Tampa, Fla. WFS said it will have two dual capacity tug and barge units to service the area and has also partnered with Vane Brothers. “World Fuel Services continue to invest in selective physical supply locations. When selecting locations for WFS we carry out an intense risk assessment ensuring we are able to deliver the highest standards of service,” said Joe Gowen, SVP Global Marine Supply.

Universal Energy entered voluntary liquidation on Oct 3, tightening credit in Singapore's bunker fuel market. Shipping fuel suppliers are filing millions of dollars in claims over unpaid marine fuel bills against now defunct Singapore-based peer Universal Energy, formerly one of the city state's largest bunker suppliers but which has now entered liquidation. Universal Energy, ranked as Singapore's third-largest bunker fuel supplier by volume in 2016, had its shipping fuel licences revoked by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) in August for actions that could give a false impression of how much fuel it was delivering to buyers. Overall creditor claims against Universal Energy - which went into voluntary liquidation on Oct.

In a move which has been hailed as a landmark moment for the bunker industry, the use of mass flow metering (MFM) for heavy fuel oil bunker deliveries in Singapore became mandatory on January 1, 2017. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) efforts have been applauded by many in the industry – including World Fuel Services – who see MFM as an important tool for developing more transparency and accountability for the bunker supply chain. So how does MFM work, and why is it so important to the bunkering industry? When a mass of liquid passes through an oscillating tube, the inertia effect of the moving liquid will cause the tube to twist – and the twisting will be in direct proportion to the liquid‘s mass flow.

From 1 January 2020, a new global sulphur cap on marine fuels will come into effect which will turn the whole bunker industry upside down; and World Fuel Services is urging the shipping, bunkering and energy sectors to work together to meet this new challenge. The 2020 deadline for the new 0.50% cap, which is a significant reduction on the 3.50% global limit currently in force, was confirmed at the 70th session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). This will be a huge undertaking but it is not unexpected. The industry has already had many years to prepare for this reckoning.

A U.S. judge said on Friday he will grant Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd provisional protection from creditors in the United States, enabling some vessels to dock and unload at U.S. ports. South Korea's Hanjin asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood to issue an order that would prevent creditors from seizing Hanjin ships or property, and allow cargo owners to make arrangements to retrieve goods stranded in warehouses. Sherwood said he would sign the order later on Friday. Earlier, the company received authority to spend the money needed to dock at U.S.

Of 98 container ships, 44 blocked from ports. U.S. firms take legal action over unpaid bills. Roughly half of Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd's container vessels have been blocked from ports since the South Korean firm's collapse, putting manufacturers and their customers increasingly on edge about the fate of cargo and spikes in freight costs. Woes for world's seventh-largest container shipper have only deepened since its banks withdrew support and it filed for court receivership this week. One vessel has also been seized by a creditor in Singapore while firms in the U.S. have launched legal action against Hanjin to seize vessels and other assets over unpaid bills.

Global shipping and offshore oil and gas operations are increasingly dependent on integrated networks, based on various software and data transfer solutions. Systems and equipment onboard are interconnected, monitored and controlled through an onboard automation network. Onboard systems are increasingly also connected ashore to the owners’ or technology providers’ control centers. Equipment manufacturers want to remotely upgrade the software of their systems and monitor their use to be able to optimize operations and to scheduled needed maintenance service.

Transparency Market Research launched its latest study on the global bunker fuel market, in terms of revenue and volume. The report predicts that the global bunker fuel market is likely to reach an estimated volume of 460 million tons by 2020. The market, therefore, is poised to exhibit a moderate 3.1% CAGR during 2014-2020, expanding from 372.30 million tons in 2013. Bunker fuel is a fractionally distilled liquid fuel derived from crude oil. Also known as fuel oil, the substance can be classified on the basis of its chemical composition, intended purpose, and boiling point. Unlike other petroleum products, bunker fuel is more polluting and highly unrefined. Apart from fuel oil, there are other middle distillate fuels, which are also used as bunker fuels.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) noted an improvement in bunker quality from across the marine fuels supply chain thanks in part to a campaign launched by the association. Addressing an audience of more than 1,000 marine fuel buyers, suppliers and traders at the association’s annual dinner in London last night, IBIA Chairman Jens Maul Jorgensen said that the early results for 2015 show that there has been a marked improvement in bunker fuel quality with 8% of samples found to be off-spec compared with 10% in 2014. These results are based on samples taken by testing company Intertek ShipCare. “Test figures for standard…

The Port of Gibraltar will showcase its bunkering and marine services at the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Regional Forum, February 24-27. The forum, which takes place at Gibraltar’s Sunborn Hotel, will include a workshop on bunkering; a session focusing on mega yacht and leisure services; an overview of bunkering in the Mediterranean as well as updates on IMO’s steps to improve fuel quality, IBIA’s port charter initiative, visits to bunkering barges and a reception at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Speakers include representatives from Peninsular Petroleum, World Fuel Services, Intertanko, Vopak, Vemaoil and Aegean.

Swiss trading house Mercuria has moved to become a significant player in the marine fuel market by hiring a team of close to 40 former employees from the once-largest supplier, traders and sources close to the matter said on Tuesday. The bankruptcy of Denmark's OW Bunker, which had controlled around 7 percent of the global shipping fuel market and employed more than 600 people, has given Mercuria an opportunity to beef up its business shortly after it acquired the physical commodities unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The hiring of OW Bunker traders will help integrate Mercuria's existing fuel oil business, trading cargoes typically in sizes of 20,000 tonnes, and the sale of fuel in smaller lots to be delivered to ships, which take only up to around 5,000 tonnes per delivery.

The downfall of a leading marine fuel supplier that prompted sellers to tighten credit terms in Singapore is skewing the post-OW Bunker jostle for market share towards cash-rich trading companies and barge operators, traders said. Marine fuel premiums over cargo prices in Singapore, the world's busiest refuelling port, have stayed elevated after hitting their highest in more than two years in the wake of OW Bunker's collapse as worried buyers tried to lock in prompt supplies. Besides oil majors - such as BP, Shell and ExxonMobil - which have integrated supply systems including storage and fuel-delivery tankers, rivals with deep pockets or a fleet of barges are also expected to expand their market share.

World Fuel Services Corporation (NYSE:INT), a global fuel logistics company, principally engaged in the marketing, sale and distribution of aviation, marine and land fuel products and related services, continues to  generate positive operating cash flow. The company report second quarter net income of $51.0 million or $0.71 diluted earnings per share compared to $48.6 million or $0.68 diluted earnings per share in the second quarter of 2012. “Our second quarter results once again demonstrate the resilience and diversity of our business model. We are pleased with our overall performance especially in our marine segment,” said Michael J. Kasbar, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Fuel Services Corporation.

Traders and shipping companies scrambled to source fuel and take over supply contracts on Friday after Danish marine fuel supplier OW Bunker said a suspected fraud at its Singapore subsidiary had pushed it to the brink of bankruptcy. The alleged fraud at Singapore-based subsidiary Dynamic Oil Trading is potentially one of the biggest financial market scandals to hit the city state since 2004, when China Aviation Oil (Singapore) ran up oil futures losses of $550 million. Some institutional and individual investors in Denmark said they were considering taking legal action against the firm.

Early Bird Pricing Extended for SHIPPINGInsight Fleet Optimization Conference; More than 30 Industry Experts to Address Challenges and Solutions for Reducing Costs and Enhancing Efficiency in Ship Operations. The organizers of the SHIPPINGInsight 2012 Fleet Optimization Conference in Stamford, Conn., have extended the deadline for Early Bird registration until Sept. 21st. The $995 Early Bird registration represents a savings of $400 off the full onsite conference fee of $1,395. Taking place at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel Oct.

Danish ship fuel supplier OW Bunker aims to publish plans for a stock market listing this week, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. "The plan is to be listed before Easter," one source said, adding that Morgan Stanley, Carnegie, Nordea and ABG would lead the IPO. Two other sources said an intention to float letter will be published later this week. Private equity group Altor has owned OW Bunker since buying its parent Wrist Group in July 2007. No indication was given on the price Altor paid, although local media said that it could have been anywhere between 1 and 2 billion Danish crowns ($182-364 million). "An exit may well come in the foreseeable future," Altor's head of Danish activities Soren Johansen told Reuters in January.

Private equity co Altor plans to partly sell holding; OW Bunker FY net up almost 50 pct at $63.4 mln. Revenue up more than 20 pct at $16.99 billion. Danish ship fuel supplier OW Bunker plans an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Copenhagen, it said on Wednesday, confirming what sources familiar with the matter had told Reuters on Monday. The company, which has a share of around 7 percent of the global shipping fuel market, said it planned to sell new stock as well as some of the shares owned by its major shareholder, private equity group Altor. It did not say how much it planned to raise. The company also posted full-year 2013 results showing revenue up more than 20 percent to $16.99 billion and net profit up almost 50 percent to $63.4 million.