Singapore bunker prices rose on Monday tracking rising fuel oil prices. Prices for 380-centistoke (cst) bunker fuel were pegged at $313-315 a tonne, about $9 higher than Friday's Asian close.
The 180-cst bunker fuel price rose $2.50 on Monday, to close at $322-324 on Friday's close.
Suppliers said the market is tight due to lower October Western arbitrage arrivals.
The market is only going to see relief in the second-half of October. About 1.2 million tonnes of fuel oil is expected to arrive from the West in October.
Demand remains strong, but shipowners said that with a lack of available spot barrels in the market, they might look to other Asian ports to load bunkers.
"We don't see any point in stopping off here if we can't fix our full bunker requirements," a European shipowner said.
Suppliers have been reluctant to offer spot barrels because of a lack of available ex-wharf barrels in the market.
"We are beginning to see some cargo players offer into the ex-wharf market, but their levels are still too high for any deals to be concluded. It's safer to focus on term commitments," a bunker supplier said.