Asia/Pacific News
ANALYSIS: Singapore November Bunker Sales Up 7.4% On the Year as Bunker Calls Rise
Marine fuel sales in Singapore, the world's largest bunkering hub, rose year-on-year in November as more ships arrived for bunkers.
The city-state's total demand for conventional and biofuels reached 4.76 million mt in November, up 7.4% from the volume recorded a year ago and 0.1% from the previous month of October, according to the latest data from the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA).
If the total from the first 11 months of the year were to be replicated over the rest of 2025, this year's total for Singapore would reach 55.36 million mt, up by 1.6% from 2024's record high.
Product Breakdown
VLSFO sales touched 2.51 million mt in November – an increase for the second consecutive month and the highest since November 2024. The figure is up 3.3% from October's level and 4.8% from November 2024.
About 1.82 million mt of HSFO was sold in November, down 2.6% from October's level, but 14.9% higher on the year.
November distillate sales were down 6.3% from October's level, but up 9.2% year-on-year.
Biofuel bunker sales dropped for the third consecutive month in November.
About 62,200 mt of bio-blended bunkers were sold in November, down by 6.3% from October's level and 46.2% on the year. This included 4,800 mt of B100 sold in November, up from 1,800 mt in October.
LNG sales also shrank on the month, with 55,000 mt sold in November – down 9.2% from October's level, but is double from a year ago.
First time since May 2024, methanol bunker sales were recorded, with 3,000 mt sold in November.
Bunker Calls Advance Year-on-Year
The number of vessels arriving in Singapore for bunkering increased yearly but decreased monthly.
A total of 3,632 vessels came to Singapore's waters to bunker in November, up by 10.2% on the year, but down 3.2% from October's level.
That left the average conventional and biofuel bunker stem size last month at about 1,311.3 mt, compared with an average over the previous 12 months of 1,308.3 mt.
Prices
Singapore's average VLSFO price was $457.5/mt in November, down from $573/mt a year ago.
Ship & Bunker's G20-VLSFO Index of average prices across 20 leading bunkering ports was $486.5/mt in November, down from $588/mt a year ago.
Bulkers and Container Visits Increase
The total gross tonnage visiting Singapore jumped by 8% on the year to 273.27 million mt in November.
This growth was primarily driven by the container and bulker segments, with container calls by gross tonnage increasing by 5.92 million mt.
Bulk carrier tonnage calls rose by 10.06 million mt, while tanker tonnage fell by 1.66 million mt.
The mandatory mass flow meter systems used to measure all bunker deliveries in Singapore come with a +/-0.5% margin of error, a level considered more accurate than traditional measurement systems used at most other ports, with the added benefit of all but eliminating volumetric malpractice.
Only licensed companies can supply bunkers in Singapore, and the MPA calculates sales based on the bunker delivery notes of those companies.
