Singapore’s stocks of residual fuel oil have averaged 5% lower so far in October than in September despite a marked increase in net imports, according to a report published on 9 October 2026. The figures, drawn from Enterprise Singapore data and summarised by reports, show a notable reshuffle between heavier fuel oil and middle distillates.
The data indicate that Singapore’s monthly average residual fuel oil stocks fell by 1.08 million barrels to 18.67 million barrels in the comparison between September and October (so far). By contrast, middle distillate inventories rose by 900,000 barrels to 9.37 million barrels over the same interval.
reports framed the movements as occurring despite a sharp rise in net imports into the Singapore market, highlighting the contrasting direction of supply flows and on‑island inventories.
The figures point to a tightening in the heavier end of the product slate while lighter distillates gained stock. Such a split can reflect changes in refinery output patterns, blending demand, or shifts in local and regional offtake, according to the published summary.
Monthly averages and shifts
Enterprise Singapore’s monthly average methodology underpins the comparisons between September and October (so far), showing the residual fuel oil decrease of 1.08 million barrels alongside a near million‑barrel increase in middle distillates. The report treats these as contemporaneous monthly averages rather than daily snapshots.
The divergence between the two product groups is explicit in the numbers: heavier fuel stocks were lower even as middle distillates accumulated, a dynamic noted in the reports item of 9 October 2026.
Imports and inventory dynamics
The published account emphasises a sharp rise in net imports to Singapore in the period covered, yet does not show an accompanying build in residual fuel oil stocks. That juxtaposition suggests imports were directed differently across the product chain or quickly re‑exported or drawn into domestic consumption.
The summary does not provide a breakdown of net imports by product or their ultimate destination, but the overall pattern recorded in the Enterprise Singapore averages points to a reshuffling of available crude‑derived products within the Singapore market.
A brief factual breakdown:
- Residual fuel oil: down 1.08 million barrels to 18.67 million barrels (monthly average comparison).
- Middle distillates: up 900,000 barrels to 9.37 million barrels (monthly average comparison).
The numbers were presented in reports’s report, which cites Enterprise Singapore data dated 9 October 2026.
The figures published to date provide a quantitative snapshot of Singapore’s inventory position in early October relative to September. Further detail on import composition, refinery runs or trade flows would be required to explain fully why residual fuel oil stocks fell even as net imports rose sharply, but such detail is not included in the published summary.
The data will be watched by traders and regional fuel users for signs of how product availability and pricing might respond if the observed trends persist through October.
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