Ships are facing refuelling delays of up to one to two weeks at China’s Zhoushan bunkering hub, compared with the usual one to two days, as the Middle East conflict tightens fuel supplies. Chinese refiners have also shifted production toward higher-margin gasoline and diesel, reducing availability of residual fuel oil used for marine bunkers. Low-sulfur fuel oil production by state-owned refiners fell 13% in August, while Zhoushan bunker prices have risen sharply and are more than 25% above Singapore levels. Supply pressures are expected to ease in early October as seasonal demand and bunkering activity decline.
