Platts to discontinue most global 180 CST high sulfur bunker assessments

S&P Global Platts will discontinue publishing most of its IFO 180 CST bunker fuel assessments globally from Jan.4, 2021.

The discontinuation follows market feedback that IFO 180 is no longer being produced or sold at most locations globally following the introduction of a 0.5% sulfur cap in marine fuels by the International Maritime Organization from Jan.1, 2020.

The global market was observed to have mostly transitioned away from high sulfur fuel oil to trade low sulfur bunker fuel, and IFO 380 CST is the predominant grade traded in the high sulfur market.

Platts will continue to publish its Bunker FO 180 CST 3.5% Dlvd Durban (Africa) assessment, following market feedback which suggests IFO 180 CST as the predominant grade traded at that port.

Separately, Bunkerworld currently publishes IFO 180 CST prices for Great Belt in Denmark, Port Elizabeth in South Africa, Ras Tanura, Dammam, Jeddah, Yanbu and Rabigh in Saudi Arabia, and Arzew in Algeria. These prices will continue to be published in Bunkerworld.

Platts continues to engage with the market and monitor spot trading activity across locations and products to review specifications, methodology and assessments.

Since July 1, 2019, Platts started publishing daily price assessments for IMO-compliant Marine Fuel 0.5% bunkers on delivered and ex-wharf basis at key ports globally. Platts first began publishing daily cargo and barge assessments for Marine Fuel 0.5% globally on Jan.2, 2019: http://plts.co/hcFG30p2r3a.

The assessments for discontinuation and the Platts price database codes they appear under are as below:

These assessments appear in Platts Bunkerwire, Bunkerwire Monthly, Asia-Pacific/Arab Gulf Marketscan, Latin American Wire, Oilgram Price Report, Oilgram Price Report Monthly, Platts Bunker Alert pages 2850, 2851, 1860, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1850, 1870, 862, 860, 863, 861, 871, 870, Platts Global Alert pages 2554, 2010, 2555, 2011, 2510, 2502, 2002, 2511, 2503, 2003, Platts Shipping Alert pages 210, 211, 1220, 1211, 1221, 1231, 1210, 1230, 2220, 2210, 2221, 2211, 2241, and 2240.

Please send all questions to oilgroup@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

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