World News
Shipowners Should Unite Over Good Fuel Quality, not Just Bad Bunkers: Muhtaroglu
After numerous cases of contaminated bunker fuel this year, there have been a number of calls for industry bodies to take collective action on the matter.
This week has even seen reports of owners looking to join forces to consider class actions.
But while he says it is good to see the industry come together to tackle the problem, Mustafa Muhtaroglu, Chief Executive of Turkish supplier Energy Petrol, says owners need to do more to promote good quality bunkers before such problems arise.
“I have to say most bunker buyers are price driven and quality unfortunately is secondary for them,” Muhtaroglu told Ship & Bunker.
“I would like to see shipowners and buyers coming together to support suppliers and ports like Istanbul where there is good quality and virtually no problems. This should be the normal situation and not just when there are quality problems.”
After first emerging in the US Gulf market in April, the contaminated fuel problems then spread to the Panama and Singapore markets.
It is understood some 100 vessels have been affected.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 624.50 | 1.00 | 732.00 | 8.50 |
| Rotterdam | 571.00 | 3.00 | 758.00 | 16.50 |
| Houston | 591.50 | 4.00 | 760.00 | 5.50 |
| Fujairah | 629.00 | 0.50 | 877.50 | 3.00 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 637.00 | 0.00 | 819.00 | 3.00 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 604.00 | 0.00 | 782.00 | 5.50 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 688.00 | 2.50 | 879.00 | 1.00 |
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