Equatorial Marine Claims Singapore's Top 2022 Supplier Spot

by Jack Jordan, Managing Editor, Ship & Bunker
Monday January 16, 2023

Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services has been named Singapore's top bunker supplier by volume in 2022, taking the top spot for the first time in its 22-year history.

The official ranking is provided annually by Maritime and Port Authority (MPA). While the exact volume of bunkers sold is known to the MPA, it is not published. Total conventional bunker sales in Singapore slipped by 4.2% to 47.88 million mt last year.

Singapore-based Equatorial Marine Fuel, founded in 2000, moved from second to first place last year.

The firm has steadily climbed up the ranks over the past few years, having been as low as 20th in the list in 2013. The company sells four to five million mt/year of marine fuels in Singapore, according to its website.

Last year's biggest supplier, PetroChina International, slipped by one spot to second place, while Trafigura-backed supplier TFG Marine jumped by two into third place.

Other firms backed by global oil producers and commodity traders also mostly had strong years. Vitol Bunkers held firm in fourth place, BP Singapore gained one to sixth place, Chevron Singapore rose by four to eighth and Minerva Bunkering climbed by four to ninth place.

Glencore Singapore had a weaker performance after its physical supply licence was suspended for two months following its role in the HSFO contamination seen in February and March, dropping by seven places to 13th.

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels also continued to decline, losing three to 22nd place, having been in sixth place as recently as 2019.

Bunker B Pte Ltd has now been at the bottom of the list for four straight years. The firm's rank may partly be explained by its focus on distillates rather than the full range of marine fuels.

Just one additional licence was awarded last year, to Sinopec Fuel Oil, which joined the list in 19th place. The supplier was the first addition to the list since April 2020.

No Singapore suppliers were permanently removed from the list last year.

The list now stands at 42 companies, down from as many as 73 in 2012.

The full list for 2022, with changes from 2021's positions, is as follows: