Gibraltar Strait bunker queues build as prompt fuel gets tight
What it means for buyers
Order 7-10 days ahead for the Strait and allow for waiting time, especially around the 9-10 October weather window.
Fuel for prompt dates is hard to get at the ports around the Gibraltar Strait, according to a market update from ENGINE on 5 October. A trader quoted by the publisher advised buyers to plan 7-10 days of lead time to get proper offers.
Waiting times are building too. Port agent MH Bland counted around nine ships in the queue for bunkers in Gibraltar. Some deliveries there are running more than a day late, others 4-12 hours behind. In Algeciras the delays range from 2 to 12 hours, and in Ceuta they are about eight hours.
Weather adds risk later this week. Winds above 25 knots and swells over 2 metres are forecast for 9-10 October, which could interrupt bunkering at Gibraltar.
Prices rose for all main grades in Gibraltar over the weekend. Compared with Rotterdam, the Gibraltar LSMGO premium widened sharply and the HSFO premium also widened, while the VLSFO premium narrowed. For a ship calling the Strait in the next two weeks, booking early and keeping a buffer for delays looks sensible.
Sources
- ENGINE engine.online
Roadstead is a bunker broker. We arrange supply through suppliers we have checked and do not run our own barges.
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