Ship Bunker Costs Stay Elevated as VLSFO Averages $876.50/mt and MGO Reaches $1,500/mt
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Ship fuel costs remain elevated entering the fourth quarter, with Ship & Bunker's latest full October 6 snapshot putting its 20-port average at $876.50 per metric tonne for VLSFO, $751.50 for HSFO and $1,500 for marine gasoil. Prices vary dramatically by bunkering location: Rotterdam VLSFO was approximately $682.50/mt, Houston $745.50, Singapore $890 and Fujairah $979.50, while Los Angeles/Long Beach was above $1,050. The market strengthened again on October 7, with ENGINE assessing Singapore VLSFO at $904/mt, LSMGO at $1,296 and HSFO at $790. The U.S. Energy Information Administration now expects Brent crude to average about $105/bbl during Q4 2026, reflecting continuing Middle East supply constraints, depleted inventories and elevated transportation risk.
Fuel Is Expensive, But Where a Ship Bunkers Now Matters Almost as Much as What It Burns
High crude prices, tight refined-product supply and disrupted fuel-oil flows have produced unusually large differences between bunker grades and between the world's major bunkering hubs.
The Same Ship Can Face a Completely Different Fuel Bill at the Next Port
| Port | VLSFO $/mt | MGO $/mt | HSFO $/mt | VLSFO-HSFO Spread | MGO-VLSFO Spread | 1,000t VLSFO Stem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam | $682.50 | $1,340.00 | $613.00 | $69.50 | $657.50 | $682,500 |
| Houston | $745.50 | $1,370.00 | $540.00 | $205.50 | $624.50 | $745,500 |
| Singapore | $890.00 | $1,243.00 | $778.00 | $112.00 | $353.00 | $890,000 |
| Fujairah | $979.50 | $1,676.50 | $701.50 | $278.00 | $697.00 | $979,500 |
| Los Angeles / Long Beach | $1,055.00 | $1,557.00 | $821.00 | $234.00 | $502.00 | $1,055,000 |
Current Stem and Voyage Fuel Cost Model
Select a major bunkering hub and fuel grade, then calculate the current stem cost, daily fuel expense, voyage consumption and optional EU ETS exposure.
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