Singapore bunker sales volumes in October fell about 3 percent from the previous month as surging prices dampened demand from shipowners, traders and shipowners said on Wednesday. Singapore bunker sales fell to 2.722 million tonnes in October, and slipped about 7 percent from August's record high of 2.925 million tonnes, official government data showed.
"Last month you saw many shipowners and retail buyers stepping to the sidelines as prices raced to fresh records," a Singapore-based bunker supplier said. In October, Singapore bunker prices averaged about $473 a tonne, up 20 percent from the previous month, and more than 28 percent from August, when sales volumes peaked.