West Africa sees bunker demand surge amid Hormuz disruptions \u2013 Monjasa<\/p>\n
Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz linked to the ongoing Middle East crisis are reshaping global bunker demand, with West Africa \u201cseeing the impact first-hand,\u201d according to bunker supplier Monjasa.<\/p>\n
Bunker demand across West Africa has risen markedly since the Iran crisis began, with particularly strong activity reported in Walvis Bay, Namibia and Lom\u00e9, Togo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe increase is mainly driven by availability issues following disruptions at major bunker hubs such as Fujairah, UAE rather than more vessels re-routing,\u201d Monjasa\u2019s Middle East & Africa general manager Casper Borgen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bunkering situation in the Middle East is more stable now, but still not fully consistent,\u201d a Middle East-based source said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in April, fuel availability in Fujairah tightened amid constrained supply, strict scheduling, firm nominations, and potential delays in barge availability. The resulting uncertainty at key hubs such as the Port of Fujairah led to increased enquiries being redirected to alternative locations, including African ports.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially, it was challenging to match this sudden imbalanced supply and demand across the region,\u201d Borgen said, adding that the company is now ready to meet increased demand in the region with its eight tankers and is exploring ways to further optimise its fleet.<\/p>\n
Monjasa currently reports good availability of VLSFO, MGO and HSFO, supported by \u201ca mix of existing local sourcing contracts and additional imports.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demand remains firm in Lom\u00e9, where lead times of around 5\u20137 days are required for VLSFO and LSMGO. Similarly, some suppliers at Walvis Bay are offering VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries with lead times of approximately 5\u20137 days.<\/p>\n
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