The following article regarding Europe and Africa bunker fuel availability has been provided by online marine fuel procurement platform ENGINE for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times: Prompt supplies tight in the ARA Fuel availability is normal off Malta VLSFO and LSMGO supplies in Luanda need 5-6 days of notice Northwest Europe Bunker fuel availability remains tight for prompt supplies in the ARA hub, a trader said. Recommended lead times for VLSFO and HSFO supplies have reduced slightly to 7-8 days, from 10 days advised last week, the trader added. The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have remained flat in June so far, compared to May’s monthly average, according to Insights Global data. Fuel oil stocks in the ARA hub have fallen to levels not seen in more than a decade. The ARA hub has imported only 7,000 b/d of fuel oil in the first week of June, sharply lower from April’s monthly average of 230,000 b/d, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa. All of the cargoes during the first week of June have come from Germany. The ARA hub imported 164,000 b/d of gasoil in June, down considerably from 204,000 b/d imported in May, Vortexa data showed. Around 37% of June’s shipments have come from the Saudi Arabia, while Lithuania has sent around 21% of the cargoes. In Germany’s Hamburg, buyers are advised to book stems around five days ahead to get deliveries of any fuel grade, a trader told ENGINE. Fuel availability is normal off Denmark’s Skaw and in Sweden’s Gothenburg, but buyers need to provide a notice of around 10 days to get deliveries of any fuel grade, according to a trader. Mediterranean In the Gibraltar Strait ports, bunker availability remains tight for prompt deliveries of any fuel grade, with buyers advised lead times between 7-10 days, a trader told ENGINE. Ships calling in Gibraltar for bunkers are facing high congestion, with around 20 vessels awaiting bunkers as of Wednesday morning due to lack of space, port agent MH Bland