The Atlantic fuel-bunkering market is facing severe operational pressure, driven by tight supply and the widespread diversion of maritime routes. According to data from the daily bunkering bulletin issued by ship agent Intercop at the Port of Las Palmas on October 4, 2026, marine fuel buyers must plan for delivery lead times of between 7 and 8 days to ensure coverage for their vessels. The port on Gran Canaria is absorbing extraordinary demand from vessels avoiding passage through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal because of the conflict in the Middle East, opting instead for the route around the Cape of Good Hope and consolidating Tenerife as the priority refueling stop before heading into the South Atlantic.
Amid congestion in Las Palmas and restrictions at West African ports, the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is emerging as the region’s direct strategic alternative. Tenerife’s infrastructure is able to capture diverted traffic and absorb excess bunkering demand, providing an essential outlet to ease congestion and ensure the continuity of maritime transport flows between the North Atlantic and the African continent. In the Strait of Gibraltar and Algeciras, delays of 4 to 12 hours have been recorded, and lead times of 7 to 10 days are recommended to secure competitive prices, while in Ceuta, barges are facing delays of 8 to 10 hours.
Pressure on the supply chain extends across West Africa’s main hubs, where a lack of stock is constraining shipping operations. In Lomé, Togo, supplies of VLSFO and LSMGO require at least seven days’ advance notice because of the shortage of immediately available product. In Lagos, Nigeria, maintenance work at local refineries is restricting VLSFO availability, forcing waiting times of 7 to 9 days in a low-demand environment driven mainly by oil tankers. Farther south, Luanda, Angola, is completely out of VLSFO and LSMGO while awaiting replenishment within a window of 1 to 2 weeks, whereas in Walvis Bay, Namibia, immediate availability is very limited and reservations must be made 5 to 7 days in advance.
The critical situation is worsening in southern and eastern Africa. In Durban, South Africa, fuel availability is extremely scarce, while in Cape Town supply restrictions are expected to remain in place until close to the end of the first week of October. Lead times of between 10 and 15 days are recommended for operations in Richards Bay and Algoa Bay. In Port Louis, Mauritius, reservations must be made 10 to 14 days in advance because of very high demand.
In the European and Mediterranean context, the ARA logistics hub—Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp—recorded an average 15% increase in fuel oil inventories in September compared with August, leaving stocks 47% above the minimum recorded in May, although they were still 18% below February 2026 levels.
Fuel oil imports into ARA fell to 276,000 barrels per day in September, down from 342,000 barrels per day in August, with Mexico accounting for 23%, Colombia for 19% and Benin for 14%. Diesel imports stood at 141,000 barrels per day, compared with 155,000 in August, and came from the United States (30%), the United Kingdom (18%) and Sweden (12%).
The article “Tension in Atlantic bunkering: 8-day waits in Las Palmas force diversions to Santa Cruz de Tenerife” was first published on canarymaritime.com.
