Singapore bunker sales dip in September as Middle East conflict squeezes fuel supply

Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, recorded bunker sales of more than 4.7 million tonnes in September, marking a 1 percent decline compared with September 2025 and August 2026. Although 3,617 vessels called for refuelling—0.8 percent more than the previous month—their combined capacity was lower, and oil-tanker arrivals fell by about 5 percent year-on-year. The drop stemmed mainly from reduced LSFO volumes, which fell 5.6 percent to 2.2 million tonnes as blendstock shortages tightened supply in early September.

Buyers responded by taking less fuel per visit, shifting some demand to HSFO, whose sales rose by roughly 6 percent despite constrained supplies. The pattern reflects the impact of the Middle East war on both price and physical availability of marine fuels, prompting concerns that prolonged disruption could push shipping to alternative ports such as Zhoushan in China.