Texas ports could fully reopen Thursday: Pilots
Major Texas ports are likely to rescind draft restrictions and begin operating at full capacity Thursday with port facility damage limited and shipping channels free of significant blockages following Hurricane Beryl, according to vessel piloting services.
The US Coast Guard authorized most Texas ports to open for daylight hours only starting today, with 30 ft draft restrictions in the port of Houston and 35 ft in the ports of Galveston and Texas City. But with "no major obstructions" being found in the channels and final surveys by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Coast Guard expected soon, those restrictions may be lifted by the end of day Wednesday, according to Galtex Pilots director of operations Erik Stramblad.
The restrictions slowed vessels traffic in and out of the port of Houston to about 66pc of the "typical count of 55-60 vessels daily", according to Houston Pilots Association chief operating officer JJ Plunkett.
"We're working with the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers to get their final surveys," Plunkett said. "Tomorrow [the port of Houston] will probably have a deeper draft."
The resulting buildup of vessels around Texas ports is likely to clear quickly once normal operations resume, according to Stramblad.
"The number of vessels waiting is about the same [as usual]," Stramblad said. "It's only been a couple of days [of downtime]. It tends to clear itself up quickly once we have the full draft back."
Some private terminals within the ports of Texas City and Galveston need to provide their own status assessments before operations can fully resume, Stramblad said.
"Nobody wants to hit something that shouldn't be there," Stramblad said.
Ship-to-ship transfers of crude, refined products and other commodities resumed off the Texas coast on Tuesday. At least two charterers today sought Suezmax tankers for crude lighterings in the US Gulf coast from 12 July.
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Singapore LNG bunker sales post fresh highs in June
Singapore LNG bunker sales post fresh highs in June
Singapore, 15 July (Argus) — Demand for alternative marine fuels rose further in June at the port of Singapore, with LNG demand for bunkering touching fresh highs. Total bunker sales in June rose by 8.7pc from a year earlier to 4.27mn t, according to preliminary data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), lifted by a 2.7pc increase in vessel throughput in Singapore to around 10.11mn in June. But sales slipped by 11pc from a strong May. "It is [lower] LNG prices versus fuel oil prices, along with higher fuel demand, due to the longer passage through the Cape, [and] that is playing an important role," said a key Singapore-based LNG bunker supplier, referring to the increased demand from the rerouting of vessels because of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea region. Demand for bunkering LNG has increased this year, with Singapore recording 175,030t of LNG used to fuel ships in the first half of this year. This is more than a threefold increase from the same period last year when 36,900t of LNG was bunkered in Singapore. Demand for biofuel blends in the first half increased by 46.7pc versus the same period last year. January-June sales were 280,160t compared with 191,000t a year earlier. The blend of 76pc very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and 24pc used cooking oil methyl ester, also known as B24, has been the first choice of alternative fuel among shipowners in Singapore, partly because of its drop-in character. Increased enquiries emerged for B24 in Singapore since April-May this year, with short-term tenders going to key shipowners planning voyages to Europe. "There are customers taking more volumes in H2 2024. Volumes wise [for the year, this] might not see a huge increase [but we] will just see more customers," said an international trader. Consumption of conventional bunker fuels has remained largely steady in Singapore, with the exception of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) where sales for June rose by 26pc compared with a year earlier to 1.56mn t. There was a 29pc increase for January-June this year against the 2023 equivalent. Firmer demand has continued for lower priced HSFO, particularly for vessel owners hoping to maximise the use of installed exhaust scrubber systems in handling alternative marine fuels. VLSFO consumption was down by 2pc in the first six months of 2024 versus the same period in 2023, with overall demand largely unchanged. Supplies have been higher in Singapore from this year's second quarter, which is expected to remain in the short term, said industry participants. Red Sea diversions Singapore has absorbed 40pc of the increased demand created by the Red Sea disruptions, data from the International Bunker Industry Association show. Demand in Singapore rose to 4.62mn t/month in this year's first quarter from 4.23mn t/month in 2023. Container terminals in Singapore were congested in the first half of the year because of Red Sea voyage rerouting. Container throughput at the city-state grew by 6.4pc from a year earlier in the first half of 2024 to 20.25mn 20ft equivalent units (TEUs) by June, according to the MPA. Singapore in May recorded a 7.7pc year-on-year increase to 16.9mn TEUs, said Singapore's transport minister Chee Hong Tat. Tonne-mile demand for tanker vessels is expected to grow this year. Greek crude tanker owner Okeanis Eco Tankers forecasts tonne-mile demand to grow by 5.6pc in 2024 and by a further 5.5pc in 2025. By Cassia Teo, Sean Zhuang and Mahua Chakravarty Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sonatrach restarts Skikda bitumen plant after 4-yr halt
Sonatrach restarts Skikda bitumen plant after 4-yr halt
London, 11 July (Argus) — Algeria's state-owned oil firm Sonatrach has resumed production at its Skikda bitumen plant after shutting it back in 2020 when it ran short of supplies of heavy refinery residue feedstock. The company received a 10,000t cargo of atmospheric straight-run residue from a Mediterranean refiner in recent weeks, enabling bitumen production at Skikda to restart. Sonatrach plans to produce up to 100,000 t/yr of bitumen at Skikda, matching current output at its bitumen unit in Arzew. This will help meet domestic demand in Algeria, which is largely dependent on imports. Demand was an estimated 600,000-700,000t last year. Demand has risen in recent months ahead of Algeria's presidential elections, which were brought forward earlier this year by three months to 7 September. Local suppliers expect bitumen consumption in the country to peak in July and August this year at 80,000-90,000 t/month, driven by a concerted push by the government for contractors to complete road and highway projects before the elections. Sonatrach imported its large-scale bitumen cargo volumes into a string of terminals that it runs along the Algerian coast in annual tenders up until 2021 when Spain's Cepsa was awarded the volumes. But bitumen and other trade between Algeria and Spain was suspended the following year after Madrid publicly recognised Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Sonatrach has since mainly relied on flows from its 198,000 b/d Augusta refinery in Sicily. Algeria has also imported cargoes from other places in the Mediterranean including Greece. By Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Port Houston fully reopens, others to follow
Port Houston fully reopens, others to follow
New York, 11 July (Argus) — Port Houston fully reopened today in the wake of Hurricane Beryl after the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast Guard gave the all-clear, with other Texas ports soon to follow, according to the Greater Houston Port Bureau. "As of this morning, we are lifting all restrictions for the Houston ship channel — no more draft restrictions," port bureau president Captain Eric Carrero said. Draft restrictions remain in place at 35ft for the port of Galveston, at 30ft for Texas City, and at 36ft for Freeport, according to Carrero. Freeport is also restricted to daylight operating hours. "We are reviewing the surveys for Texas City, Galveston, and Freeport and we are hoping to lift those restrictions as well," Carrero said. The return of Port Houston to full capacity three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on 8 July will likely assuage concerns that damage to Texas ports would cut the supply of refined product shipments from the region at a time when refineries along the US Gulf coast hit 97pc utilization in the week ended 5 July, the highest rate since June 2023, according to US Energy Information Administration data. Any vessel glut that had built up outside of Port Houston is likely to clear quickly now that full operating conditions have been restored, according to vessel piloting services in the region. The port of Freeport was the closest of the Houston-area ports to Hurricane Beryl's landfall, which could explain additional caution given to the port in maintaining its daylight hours, given the larger potential for the storm to have blown obstructions into the port's waters. The reopening of Port Houston will likely help to shift additional Army Corps and Coast Guard personnel to the other Texas ports to help complete the necessary surveys and ensure that critical aids to navigation are where they should be before giving the all-clear. By Ross Griffith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US June inflation slows to 1-year low of 3pc
US June inflation slows to 1-year low of 3pc
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