SINGAPORE: Marine fuel sales at the UAE's Fujairah bunker hub extended gains for a second straight month in August, logging a four-month high, Fujairah Oil Industry Zone data showed. August sales totalled 650,502 cubic metres (about 644,000 metric tons), up 1.5% from July, based on FOIZ data published by S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Low-sulphur marine fuel sales, including low-sulphur fuel oils and marine gasoils, totalled 461,865 cubic metres in August, up 6.1% from July.

In contrast, high-sulphur marine fuel sales eased after hitting an 18-month high, sliding 8.2% to 188,637 cubic metres in August.

High-sulphur sales retreated as the price difference between low-sulphur fuel and high-sulphur fuel narrowed into August, after widening sharply in July.

However, market sources said that premiums for low-sulphur marine fuel firmed and hit year-to-date highs in early September.

Supply in the UAE is expected to tighten slightly amid a halt in Sudanese oil imports, which typically go into topping refineries to produce low-sulphur marine fuel. 

Fujairah bunker sales by month, in cubic metres: 2025 Total bunker sales M-o-M Y-o-Y 180cst 380cst MGO LSMGO 380cst Lubricants (minus lubricants) LSFO LSFO HSFO Jan 628,663 3.7% -6.8% 2,141 403,717 79 37,635 185,091 4,351 Feb 554,117 -11.9% -12.5% 702 382,303 341 28,176 142,595 4,183 Mar 639,811 15.5% -8.7% 1,195 432,560 128 37,788 168,140 4,991 Apr 669,378 4.6% 4.8% 885 443,509 307 35,289 189,388 5,296 May 614,296 -8.2% -0.2% 9,972 407,208 662 31,572 164,882 4,454 Jun 563,007 -8.3% -7.8% 7,356 361,332 271 33,942 160,106 4,054 Jul 640,715 13.8% 3.1% 1,207 390,717 128 43,066 205,597 4,826 Aug * 650,502 1.5% -0.8% 1,093 422,787 339 37,646 188,637 4,698 Data source: Fujairah Oil Industry Zone data published by S&P Global Commodity Insights (1 cubic metre = 6.29 barrels) (1 metric ton = 6.35 barrels for fuel oil)

(Reporting by Jeslyn Lerh; Editing by Ros Russell)