Argus Fuel Oil and Alternative Marine Fuels US Summit

• With IMO2020 now in effect, how has the VLSFO and marine gas oil market evolved over the past few years?
• How have sanctions on Russia and increased shipping demand impacted fuel oil supply and trade flows? What regions have filled Russia’s supply gap and what might we expect in the months to come?
• What will happen to bottom-of-the-barrel products as we decarbonize?
• What role with VLSFO play in the transition and what demand patterns might we see as we progress?
• What are the opportunities in this evolving market and how are fuel producers, suppliers, shippers, and traders planning?

• How do conventional marine fuels prices compare with prices of low- and no-carbon fuels (ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, LNG and biofuels)
• How are trade disruptions, sanctions against Russia and market recovery impacting fuel oil demand?
• LSVGO has reached record-high prices – how are blenders and importers adapting? How might supply tightness and pricing develop in the coming months?
• Where are blending components coming from in light of sanctions on Russia and how has this impacted trade flows?
• Are scrubber investments paying off? How are price spreads impacting scrubber utilization?
• What are the short and medium-term views of VLSFO demand? How might crude slates and refinery runs impact residual supply and availability?
• How have record strong freight rates and shipping demand impacted the market? Will we see this continue in the near-term?

Speakers:

Stephen Jones - SVP Oil Markets Strategist, Argus

Kayla Meyertons  - Editor, Argus

• How do conventional marine fuel prices compare with those of low- and no-carbon fuels?
• What is the price forecast for shipowners looking at alternative marine fuels? Retrofits, storage, supply - how does the shipping industry weigh these merits against each other?
• What trends are we seeing in the price of VGO compared to VLSFO? How are the prices of blending components and supply tightness affecting the pricing of traditional marine fuels?

Speakers:

• Stefka Wechsler, Editor, Argus
• Kayla Meyertons, Editor, Argus

• How are refiners and fuel oil suppliers adapting to volatile market conditions?
• With sanctions on Russia in place, who is supplying refiners with resid and how are they mitigating the supply gap?
• What opportunities exist for VLSFO, gasoils and distillates and what demand trends have we seen?
• Do fuel quality and specification issues remain for VLSFO?
• How have trade routes changed and what impact has this had on fuel availability at various locations?
• With increased demand for alternative fuel sources on the horizon, what impacts will we see on the traditional bunker fuels market?

• Can biofuels bridge the gap between traditional and zero emissions fuel sources?
• What types of biofuels are considered by the industry? By how much do they reduce CO2 emissions?
• What can we learn from Europe’s adoption of biodiesel? Will we see biodiesel usage pick up in the US, and if so, what does the timeline look like?
• Will states increase incentives and regulations to increase biodiesel’s use? Might other states follow California’s approach?
• Will there be enough biofuels to go around? With supply competition increasing from road transport and aviation sectors, how much alternative fuels supply will be available for the bunker industry?
• What barriers to entry exist for biofuels as a marine fuel and how can the industry adapt?
  
  

• How is engine technology evolving and what is being implemented today?
• What engine buying trends are we seeing and what does the pace of technological advancement look like?
• What should shipowners consider when evaluating their fuel options and engines?
• Engines of the future – what are the requirements of future engines for various fuel types?
• What is the outlook for scrubbers in the short and medium term? Will scrubber technology ever support CO2 capture and storage?

• Shippers, producers and ports are already making large investments in methanol as a bunker fuel. Can global methanol production keep pace?
• How will the shipping industry compete with other methanol demand pathways?
• What are the price spreads between VLSFO and methanol? How might these economics play out in the short and medium term?
• Who is investing in methanol-fueled vessels, and how much methanol demand will we see and when?
• Is global infrastructure prepared to handle methanol as a fuel source? What barriers to entry exist?
• What are the prospects of green methanol in the future?

• What has the market seen with VLSFO, marine gas oil, and high-sulfur fuel oil pricing? How has this impacted fuel buying choices and scrubber utilization?
• As we move towards decarbonization, how are shipowners and charterers evaluating various alternative fuel options in the short, medium and long term? 
• What are the benefits and risks of various alternative fuel sources including LNG, methanol, biofuels, ammonia and hydrogen?
• What infrastructure and logistical developments need to be considered when evaluating alternative fuel choices? What fuel sources will be available at various bunkering locations?
• Vessel investments – how are shipowners evaluating various vessel options to ensure they are set for success in the long term?

• Over the past year, investments in LNG vessels have soared. Who is investing in LNG and when will we see new demand come on line?
• How will sanctions on Russian and tightening of LNG supplies impact the market? Will there be enough availability for the shipping industry?
• Can LNG help fill the gap while ammonia and hydrogen production, infrastructure, and technology catch up?
• What is the economic outlook of fuelling with LNG versus fuel oil or biofuels?
• What ports and regions have invested in LNG infrastructure?
• How can bio-LNG and synthetic LNG help further cut GHG emissions and what is the timeline for development?

• How can the shipping industry compete with the fertilizer sector for ammonia supply? Will we see a boost in global ammonia production capacity to support shipping?
• What is the status of green ammonia projects and are production economies of scale achievable?
• How do global supply chain and infrastructure networks need to evolve to support adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel?
• Safety of ammonia is at the top of everyone’s mind. Can the shipping sector mitigate safety issues so this fuel source can reach its full potential?
• Can the market overcome the potential price premiums?
• Green hydrogen demands more storage space on board. Is this a realistic alternative for long-distance shipping? How do vessels need to adapt to accommodate green hydrogen?

• How will global port, storage and transportation infrastructure need to evolve to support new fuel sources? What have we seen so far?
• What incentives and regulations are needed to continue support towards wide-scale adoption of alternative fuel sources?
• How can the industry overcome barriers to entry including price premiums, advancing technology and fuel availability?
• Concluding thoughts – what are the panel’s predictions of the dominant fuel choice for the short, medium and long term? Where is your organization focusing investment and research efforts?