Fuel Trader News

On the afternoon of March 8, a petroleum tanker named Torm Agnes entered the Port of Ensenada on Mexico’s Pacific coast carrying almost 120,000 barrels of diesel.Such a vessel was a rare sight in that port, which mainly hosts cruise liners, luxury yachts and container ships. Ensenada lacks the infrastructure needed to unload cargos of flammable hydrocarbons safely – making what happened later that day odder still.Waves of fuel-hauling trucks rolled up to the dock to cart away much of the Torm Agnes’ load.

Spot premiums for 380-cst high-sulphur marine fuel at Singapore, the world's largest bunker hub, have surged due to the tight supply available for prompt deliveries, market sources said.The price strength for the fuel, which is used to power ships, has been keeping refuelling costs high for vessels calling at Singapore and other ports in the region.Delivery dates in the first half of October could command premiums of over $60 a metric ton to Singapore cargo quotes this week, the highest in 2024 so far for a delivered pricing basis…

-Monthly sales of marine fuel, also known as bunker fuel, hit over five-year highs at the world's largest refuelling hub Singapore in May as vessel arrivals spiked amid firm container throughput, official data showed on Wednesday.Singapore's bunker sales are an indicator of sentiment at one of the world's major ports and demand also affects fuel oil refining margins in Asia. Sales extended gains for a third consecutive month to 4.52 million tonnes, up 6.2% month-on-month, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority data showed.

Oil tanker rates are soaring globally as traders scramble to cope with jitters over possible disruption in Russian supplies, as well as war risk premiums for ships plying the Mediterranean region following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.Shipowners are also grappling with higher fuel costs after oil prices soared nearly $2 per barrel on Friday, with Brent back above $100. The global energy sector is concerned that Europe and the United States may impose sanctions on Russian exports and severely disrupt supplies.

Fuel supplier Bunker Holding, its chief executive and a subsidiary have decided not to appeal a conviction handed to them by a Danish city court for breaching European Union sanctions, the parties said on Wednesday."Bunker Holding, Keld R.

Fuel supplier Bunker Holding, its chief executive and its subsidiary were convicted by a Danish local court on Tuesday for breaching European Union sanctions by selling jet fuel to war-torn Syria, court documents showed.Bunker Holding, a fuel trader that is also one of the world's largest shipping fuel suppliers, had together with its CEO and subsidiary Dan-Bunkering been charged with breaking sanctions imposed by the European Union in 2011, at the onset of the Syrian civil war.A total of 172,000 tons of jet fuel worth around 647 million Danish crowns ($101 million) was sold in 33 trades betwe

China's marine fuels sales fell by as much as 50% in February as the rapidly spreading coronavirus and prolonged Lunar New Year break strangled freight movement in and out of the global manufacturing powerhouse, trade sources said.The epidemic, which has killed almost 3,000 people and infected about 80,000 in China alone, triggered the sharpest contraction on record for Chinese factory activity in February and caused massive port congestion because of labor shortages.The resulting plunge in freight demand has knocked 40% off Asian prices for very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) since early Januar

Inquiries for marine fuel supplies in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Fujairah oil hub have spiked as shippers try to avoid loading tainted fuel oil that has clogged and damaged ship engines in Singapore recently, three trade sources said.Tainted marine fuel has been found in Singapore, the world's largest ship refuelling hub, following reports of more than 100 vessels that loaded similarly contaminated fuel in the U.S.

Contaminated marine fuel that clogs and damages ship engines has been found in Singapore, the world's largest ship refuelling hub, according to sources and an alert sent to clients by a marine fuel surveying company.Singapore-based marine fuel surveyor and consulting firm Maritec Pte Ltd warned clients this week that six samples of ship fuel sold in Singapore had "resulted in severe sludging at centrifuges, clogged pipelines, overwhelmed fuel filters".The Singapore findings follow reports of more than 100 vessels that loaded similarly contaminated fuel in the U.S.

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.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) expects 2016 sales of bunker fuel for ships to rise to a record for a second consecutive year, with early estimates showing volumes increased 7.7 percent to 48.6 million tonnes, it said on Wednesday. This compares with the 45.2 million tonnes sold in 2015. "It's really no surprise we broke the record, 2016 was a strong year for Singapore bunkers," said a Singapore-based bunker fuel trader who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. Volumes of marine fuels sold in Singapore averaged 4.1 million tonnes a month in 2016, compared with 3.8 million tonnes a month in the previous year.

British oil major BP and China's Sinopec Fuel Oil are starting a Singapore-based joint venture in ship fuel storage and sales, BP said in a statement on Tuesday. The 50/50 joint venture, which builds on a similar agreement signed in 2011, will leverage both companies' existing bunkering locations and activities to deliver marine fuel to their customers, with a strong focus on Chinese shipping companies, a BP spokeswoman said in an email. Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen, China," the statement said. Unlike the Singapore market which is open to around 60 suppliers, the Chinese marine fuel market is limited to only a few players, including Sinopec, Chimbusco and Brightoil, trade sources said.

Delayed restart of Exxon refinery draws down inventories. Valero and BP among traders shipping jet from Asia to U.S. Asian jet fuel shipments to the United States West Coast region could pick up this month as a prolonged cut in throughput at a California refinery is drawing down inventories, traders said on Wednesday. Arbitrage economics to ship jet fuel from North Asia to the U.S. West Coast are now profitable, so there would be an increase in spot jet fuel cargoes on that route over the coming weeks, they said. Demand from the U.S. helped push up Asian jet fuel margins to a one-week high on Wednesday. An explosion in February that shut the gasoline-making unit of Exxon Mobil's Torrance 149,500 barrels-per-day (bpd) refinery near Los Angeles reduced throughput at the refinery.

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.

OW Bunker owes financers more than $750 million-creditor data; six more vessels arrested; 7 in total. The Singapore arm of bankrupt Danish shipping fuel trader OW Bunker will meet with its liquidator KPMG in early December to discuss the firm's outstanding debt, which totals almost $1.5 billion globally. OW Bunker, a leading supplier of marine fuel oil known as "bunker", filed for bankruptcy in Denmark earlier this month after it revealed losses of at least $125 million at one of its Singapore-based subsidiaries Dynamic Oil Trading, sending the bunker fuel market into turmoil. Oil firms have stepped up legal action against OW Bunker's Singapore units since the announcement with the arrest of ships, now totalling seven, Singapore court documents show.

Major oil companies, trade firms to expand market share; tight credit hits small retailers. The collapse of OW Bunker in the wake of an alleged fraud at its Singapore trading unit will shake up the city state's more than $25 billion marine fuel market, the world's largest, as major companies expand and small ones shrink amid a credit squeeze. OW Bunker, a leading supplier of marine fuel oil known as "bunker", filed for bankruptcy in Denmark a week ago after it revealed losses of at least $125 million at Dynamic Oil Trading, prompting banks to refuse to provide new credit lines. In a market that relies heavily on open credit, traders fear the incident could create a domino effect, pulling more companies down with it.

Fuel barge Laguna, carrying oil sold by Hin Leong to OW Bunker, arrested. Total claims against OW Bunker Far East and Dynamic Oil now over S$5 mln. Oil firms stepped up legal action against the Singapore units of bankrupt ship fuel trader OW Bunker with the arrest of a ship fuel delivery barge Laguna on Wednesday and claims totalling more than S$5 million. Court documents seen by Reuters showed that the overall amount of claims made against OW Bunker Far East (Singapore) and Dynamic Oil Trading, both Singapore-based subsidiaries of the Danish firm, over unpaid supplies now total around S$5.3 million ($4.11 million) made by nearly half a dozen companies. Law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP issued a writ of summons on Nov. 8 on behalf of Hin Leong Trading against O.W.

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.

Singapore, the world's biggest bunkering port, plans to end the so-called "cappucino effect" in ship fuelling through new meters designed to stop suppliers from short-changing customers, although the industry is warning of a short-term sales dip. The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, which sold more than 42 million tonnes of bunker oil in 2013, will be the world's first port to mandate the use of mass flow meters for fuel oil bunkering. The meters show the actual mass of fuel delivered, preventing suppliers from boosting their profits by injecting air into the fuel as it is pumped aboard. The practice, known as the "cappucino effect"…

Oil refiners’ investment in more-efficient refinery facilities is leaving shipping lines competing with Japanese power producers for a fuel no one wants to make. Refiners are upgrading plants to cut output of fuel oil, a byproduct of making gasoline and diesel, as it sells for less than the price of crude. Shipping lines are seeking more of the product -- known in the industry as bunker -- to fuel expanding fleets, while Japanese electric companies are speeding purchases as they close nuclear plants for safety checks following 2011’s tsunami. “We have a bunker market which is still growing, and we have no fuel,” said Fereidun Fesharaki, chairman of Singapore-based Facts Global Energy Inc.

The Board of Directors of Chemoil Energy announced that the company’s CEO and Executive Chairman, Robert V Chandran passed away January 7, 2008 from injuries sustained when a helicopter he was traveling in crashed in the Riau Province of Indonesia. In the aircraft with Chandran was Terence Gidlow, Chemoil’s Vice President of Business Development, who was injured but is in stable condition. Chandran built Chemoil Energy into one of the world’s leading independent suppliers of marine fuels since he founded the company in 1981.