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Marine fuel supplier Shell reports that it has received an increased number of bunker enquiries at the port of Sohar, Oman, in recent days.

Speaking to Bunker Index, a trading source at the firm said that enquiries have doubled since restrictions on Qatari-flagged ships and vessels travelling to and from Qatar were implemented by ports in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The sudden jump in fuel requests would appear to indicate that Sohar - located approximately 150 kilometres south of the Middle East's leading bunker port, Fujairah - is being used as an alternative refuelling point by a number of vessels with links to Qatar.

Shell currently supplies marine gas oil (MGO) only by truck at Sohar, and 380 centistoke (cSt) intermediate fuel oil (IFO) by barge. Combined IFO and MGO deliveries can also be arranged.

As previously reported, Fujairah's port authority confirmed last week that Qatari-flagged ships or vessels destined to or arriving from Qatari ports would not be allowed to call at Fujairah or its offshore anchorage.

Likewise, bans are in place in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Khor Fakkan and ports operated by DP World UAE - namely Jebel Ali, Mina Rashid, and Mina Al Hamriya.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabian port authorities have also stated that Qatari-flagged/owned ships will not be allowed to enter their waters. Bahrain has in addition banned ships moving from and to Qatar from calling at its ports.

Earlier this year, Bunker Index reported that Shell had entered into an agreement with the government-owned National Ferries Company (NFC) for the supply of MGO to vessels calling at all Omani ports in which the ferry operator currently operates.

NFC offers high-speed ferry services between various locations along the Omani coast, including Muscat, Khasab, Lima, Shinas, Dibba and Masirah.