Asia's high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) market experienced a softening on Friday, with the cash differential for 380-cst HSFO dropping to a premium of 20 cents a metric ton from the previous day's 70 cents. The cash premium for 180-cst HSFO also traded lower at $1.92 per ton. Despite the decline, sentiment remains positive due to expectations of a recovery in China's buying activity. Severe weather conditions at the Black Sea, impacting oil loadings from Russia's Novorossiisk port, are expected to influence the market in the coming week. Meanwhile, the spot market for very low sulphur fuel oil remained stable, with cash premiums trading at $12.84 a ton on Friday. Fuel oil stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) commercial hub increased slightly to 1.266 million tons in the week ending Thursday.

SOURCE: GOOGLE