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Leading bunker supplier and trader OW Bunker has announced that is expanding its operations into Australia.

On 15th September 2008, OW Bunker will open a trading office in Melbourne, run by Stefan Poulus, an experienced broker who has worked within the oil logistics and bunkering industry for the past seven years.

The expansion continues OW Bunker’s growth strategy of developing its global network according to customer requirements.

In a statement, the company said "Opening an office in Australia is a natural extension for OW Bunker, due to its significant presence in Singapore where many companies within the Australian shipping community run their operations, but need access to products and services from key Australian ports, including Geelong, Botany Bay and Freemantle."

OW Bunker will also use its new base in Australia to cover customers with bunkering requirements in New Zealand.

The company will provide all grades of fuel oil, including low sulphur bunker fuel, and marine gas oil (MGO). The Melbourne office will also provide a risk management service, where OW Bunker has specialist expertise. Over the past year, the company has been working with many of its clients to implement effective hedging strategies that enables them to lock in fuel costs, thereby minimising their risk exposure to volatile and fluctuating fuel prices and increasing the opportunities for profitability.

OW Bunker also plans to expand its client base within the region, working and developing relationships with a number of Australian companies, particularly in the bulker sector.

Kristian Nielsen, Managing Director, OW Bunker Asia, commented: “There are clear strategic synergies between OW Bunker’s Singapore office and its new presence in Australia, which will provide real benefits to our customers in the region. This latest expansion is a direct reflection of the company’s dedication to its customers, and its commitment to meeting its strategic growth objectives.

"Over the past 18 months, OW Bunker has successfully expanded into a number of new regions, based on the principle of providing customers with a world-class service. All of these new markets have realised exponential growth, exceeding expectations, and I am highly confident that our new Australia office, under the leadership of Stefan, will continue this trend.”