A weekly Argus news digest of interest to the conventional and alternative marine fuel markets. To speak to our team about accessing the stories below and access to Argus Marine Fuels, please contact marinefuels@argusmedia.com.
Alternative marine fuels
New York, 4 August World Kinect bunker sales slump but profit is up US-based fuel supplier World Kinect, formerly known as World Fuel Services, boosted its profit in the second quarter from a year earlier, as its cost cutting outpaced falling sales.
Singapore, 4 August Methanex hikes China methanol contract price, cuts Asia Canada-based methanol producer Methanex has hiked its China Posted Contract Price (CPCP) for August, but lowered its Asian Posted Contract Price (APCP) for a fifth consecutive month.
London, 3 August Brooge Energy moves ahead with UAE green ammonia plant Cayman Islands-based Brooge Renewable Energy has completed a feasibility study on an export-focused green ammonia project in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
London, 3 Augut Thyssenkrupp Uhde to collaborate on green ammonia FSPO German chemical engineering firm Thyssenkrupp Uhde will collaborate with a consortium to develop a green ammonia and hydrogen floating production and offloading vessel (FPSO) by 2027.
London, 3 August Italiy’s Hysytech to develop Swedish bio-LNG project Italian energy engineering company Hysytech has been awarded a contract to upgrade a Swedish biogas site to produce liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG).
Houston, 3 August PBF 2Q margins down, first renewable fuel sales US independent refiner PBF’s margins were more than halved in the second quarter, but overall profits were only marginally down from the same period in 2022.
London, 3 August Global LNG output rebounds in July Aggregate LNG output from producers rebounded in July, both on the year and the month, supported by quicker exports from the US and Australia.
London, 3 August S Korea’s HHI receives order for two LNG carriers South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HI) has received a new order for two LNG carriers.
Brussels, 2 August EU consults on ETS implementation The European Commission has published further draft technical legislation for consultation, notably allowing for the inclusion of maritime and further aviation emissions in the bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS), as well as an additional scheme covering road transport and building emissions.
New York, 1 August Fuel oil bunkering to linger despite new GHG rule The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s revised greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation for marine fuel will dent residual fuel oil demand, but the market could persist on demand from oil tanker and dry bulk vessel owners, and on production from decarbonised petroleum refineries.
Sao Paulo, 1 August Brazil’s Bndes expands sustainable biofuels financing Brazil’s state-owned development bank Bndes has expanded sustainability-linked financing available to the biofuel sector to R3.5bn ($730mn), after approving an R1.5bn boost n the loans to producers that agree to reduce their carbon footprints.
London, 31 July SK’s Hanwha Ocean receives LNG carrier order South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has received a construction order for an LNG carrier to be delivered before March 2027.
Conventional marine fuels
London, 4 August Ban squeezes Europe’s HSFO supply The EU ban on Russian fuel oil imports has been a bigger problem for Europe than for Russia — unsurprising, considering Russian high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) accounted for a much bigger share of EU imports than of Russian exports.
London, 4 August Unit to restart at ExxonMobil’s UK Fawley refinery ExxonMobil said it will return a unit online at its 270,000 b/d Fawley refinery in the UK this coming weekend after a turnaround.
London, 4 August Croatian VGO imports at record in July: Vortexa Croatia’s vacuum gasoil (VGO) imports were 69,000t in July — the highest on record — and other major European consumers raised their receipts, according to data from Votexa.
Kingston, 4 August Drought effects to cost Panama Canal $200mn The Panama Canal is projecting fiscal year 2024 revenues to be $200mn less than its initial $4.9bn estimate, its administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said.
London, 3 August Russian sanctions squeeze HSFO supplies in the EU The EU ban on Russian fuel oil imports has been a bigger problem for Europe than for Russia — unsurprising, considering Russian high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) accounted for a much bigger share of EU imports than of Russian exports.
London, 3 August Drop in fuel oil pressures ARA stocks Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) oil trading hub fell marginally in the week to 2 August, according to Insights Global, to 5.68mn t. A near 6pc dip in fuel oil inventories drove the downturn.
New York, 3 August Panama Canal delays boost clean rates to Chile, Peru The longest delays in at least two years at the Panama Canal’s Panamax locks are causing clean tanker operators to harge premium rates to take US Gulf coast refined product shipments across the canal to South America’s Pacific coast, or avoid canal transits altogether.
New York, 2 August Peru HSFO exports double on production spike Peru high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) exports nearly doubled in the first five months of the year on significantly higher production.
Singapore, 2 August Kuwaiti al-Zour August LSFO offers to weaken Kuwaiti state-owned KPC’s low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) offers from its 615,000 al-Zour refinery are expected by market participants to slow this month because of reduced production.
London, 2 August Scorpio Tankers bullish despite drop in rates Scorpio Tankers’ profits fell in the second quarter of 2023 on lower vessel earnings amid weaker summer demand, but the product tanker owner remains bullish about the market because of robust product demand and low inventories leading to record levels of seaborne exports.
New York, 1 August Clean tanker demand to rise ‘significantly’: Admore A drawdown of European diesel stocks is expected to increase EU import demand for refined products, boosting ton-mile demand for product tankers in the process, according to tanker owner Ardmore Shipping.
New York, 1 August Norwegian Cruise reports first profit since 2019 US-based Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) reported its first profit since 2019 as passenger demand continues to rise after the Covid-19 pandemic.
New York, 1 August Fuel oil bunkering to linger despite new GHG rule The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s revised greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation for marine fuel will dent residual fuel oil demand, but the market could persist on demand from oil tanker and dry bulk vessel owners, and on production from decarbonised petroleum refineries.
London, 1 August Gibraltar suspends port operations after oil spill Operations have been halted at the port of Gibraltar today following an oil spill.
Houston, 1 August US Gulf coast VGO-LSFO premium nears 2-month high US Gulfcoast low sulphur VGO premiums to low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) extended to $11.25/bl this week behind gains in both markets.
New York, 1 August Panama Canal delays expected to increase Wait times for vessels transiting Panamax and Neopanamax locks at the Panama Canal — the key route for US Gulf exports of LPG to Asia-Pacific — will “invariably increase” owing to additional water-conservation measures as drought conditions affect the waterway, according to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).
Hamburg, 1 August Rising Rhine water levels lower freight rates Rising Rhine river water levels have allowed for an increase in loading capacity on barges and have reduced freight rates for journeys from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub to inland destinations.
Shanghai, 31 July China’s fuel oil output rises in January-June China produced 27.07mn t fuel oil in the first half of this year, up by 11pc on the year, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data.
London, 31 July Saudi Bari shipping profits up in 2Q Saudi Arabian state-owned shipping firm Bahri’s profits rose year on year in the second quarter, boosted by higher revenues in the crude and chemicals transportation sectors.