Statistics can be alarming but if you extract all of the ships calling for bunkers or bringing in fuel to the docks, out of the shipping movements list this week you will be left with just eight non-related bunker movements. Examining the previous week’s figures the number would be down to four ships.

Bunkering now accounts for a majority of work for the pilots, launch operators, ship chandlers and shipping agents. If bunkering operations ceased tomorrow many companies would seriously feel the pinch with inevitable redundancies to follow.