Asia/Pacific News
Singapore Bunker Supplier Count Drops to 43
Singapore's number of accredited bunker suppliers has dropped to just 43 with the departure of Seven Seas Oil Trading.
The company is no longer mentioned on a list of licenced suppliers at world's largest bunkering hub updated by the Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) on April 1.
MPA typically only comments on the departure of a player in instances where it has revoked or declined to renew a licence.
Seven Seas has been a constant fixture on the list for the past decade, rising as high as 13th place in the list of suppliers by volume in 2015.
For 2019 its place on the list was unchanged from a year earlier at 19th out of 51 suppliers listed for 2019.
Other changes on MPA's latest list include the departure of Sinanju Marine Services Pte Ltd, with that licence holding entity now renamed to Vitol Bunkers (S) Pte. Ltd. following Vitol's previously reported acquisition of Sinanju Tankers Holdings.
The total number of suppliers in Singapore has been falling steadily for the past few years. The current count of 43 compares with 55 at the start of 2019, and 80 in 2010.
2020 may well see a reversal of this downward trend, however, with MPA recently saying it has received "several applications" from players looking to enter the market.
GP Global last month confirmed it is one of the companies to have lodged interest.