FUJAIRAH DATA: Bunker sales fall to two-month low in April

Ship fuel sales in April at the UAE's Port of Fujairah, the world's third-largest bunkering port, fell month on month and year on year after setting a record low just two months earlier, joining Singapore in reporting lower volumes, largely due to concerns around fuel contamination.

Total sales came to 670,063 cu m in April, down 3.8% from March and 1.4% lower than a year earlier, according to Fujairah Oil Industry Zone data compiled by S&P Global Commodity Insights. Sales were the lowest since the record low of 617,622 cu m in February, according to the data, which goes back to January 2021.

Singapore is the world's largest bunkering hub, and its sales in April were 0.7% lower month on month and 12.1% year on year, according to data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore May 13. Weaker bunker sales in Singapore April in were largely attributed to concerns around fuel contamination in high sulfur fuel oil as well as limited cargo availability for both HSFO and low sulfur fuel oil.

In Fujairah, LSFO 180 CST sales in April almost tripled month on month to 1,084 cu m, while LSFO 380 CST slipped 2.86% to 512,565 cu m. Marine gasoil volumes rebounded 70.89% to 1,873 cu m. HSFO 380 CST sales fell 9.8% to 116,621 cu m.