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Monthly marine fuel volume in Singapore fell below 4m tonnes for the first time this year in September as vessel arrivals and bunker calls declined and the Asian city-state recorded its worst sales figure since June 2020, data by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) shows.

The number of ships greater than 75 gross tonnes (gt) calling at Singapore for bunkers in September was 3,098 — representing a year-on-year (YoY) decrease of 357, or 10.3 percent, and a month-on-month (MoM) fall of 93 ships, or 2.9 percent.

The total number of vessels greater than 75 gt arriving in Singapore dropped YoY by 337, or 4.6 percent, to 6,918 — its lowest level since June 2020. Sequentially, September's figure was down by 260, or 3.6 percent.

With an overall bunker volume of 3.935m tonnes, sales in September shrank YoY by 282,300 tonnes, or 6.7 percent. In a month-on-month comparison, the figure represents a reduction of 136,600 tonnes, or 3.4 percent.

Despite the decrease, accumulated bunker sales of 37.335m tonnes for the first nine months of 2021 remain ahead of the previous year's figure of 37.129m by 206,100 tonnes, or 0.6 percent, and well above the pre-pandemic result of 35.155m tonnes recorded between January and September 2019.

Sales of Singapore's best-selling product, VLSFO 380 centistoke (cSt), declined YOY by 299,000 tonnes, or 13.1 percent, to 1.987m tonnes, whilst higher-sulphur MFO 380 recorded a rise of 32,900 tonnes, or 3.8 percent, to 908,900 tonnes — which was still only the second-lowest monthly figure since June 2020.

VLSFO 100 cSt volume of 434,700 tonnes was the worst since January and down by 159,100 tonnes, or 26.8 percent, compared to the prior-year period — continuing the negative YOY trend seen every month so far in 2021.

Meanwhile, rolling 3-month volume of 12.071m tonnes between July and September was the lowest in 14 months, since July 2020.