Ship & Bunker: Plummeting Crude, Bunker Prices Unlikely to Change Slow Steaming Practices

“But the picture is slightly more nuanced in the large tanker sector, said shipbroker Poten & Partners. ‘Earlier in the year, when the rates were lower, slow steaming made more sense as the additional revenue that could be earned during the additional 3.9 ballasting days was lower than the fuel savings,’ it explained in its weekly report. ‘At current market rates and lower bunker prices, this situation has shifted. Increasing the ballast speed could prove to be beneficial.'”