But on a week-on-week comparison, prices for both 180-cst and 380-cst fuel oil improved by $2.70 to $3 a tonne from a week ago after an unexpected draw in Singapore stocks of residual fuels gave support to the market.
Onshore residual inventories fell 925,000 barrels to 9.460 million barrels in the week from December 23-29, according to International Enterprise.
Fresh demand from Vietnam's Petrolimex has also boosted prices from a week ago.
The state oil firm has tendered for 414,000 tonnes of fuel oil for the first quarter, up from its fourth quarter import volume of 306,000 tonnes secured via tender and spot purchases.
But traders said the main factor weighing heavily on the fuel oil market was weak demand from China, which is not expected to return for supplies until after the lunar New Year, as well as further signs of rising supply.
"It is possible that fuel oil could improve further out when the Chinese return, but right now the market is still very weak," said a Singapore-based trader.
Traders are expecting a raft of fuel oil to arrive in Asia from the Middle East, India and western markets throughout January.
A fresh shipping fixture showed Mipco had booked the 80,000-tonne Elli for loading January 16 from Mina Al Ahmadi for the east.
A company source at Taiwan's Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) said the firm was close to finalising a sell tender for a January 1-20 380-centistoke high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) cargo, but needed to iron out some details.
CPC has been raising runs in an effort to produce more light and middle distillates and is exporting its excess fuel oil.
No deals were concluded in Friday's cash session.
Cargill submitted the best bid for 180-cst supply at $157.25 a tonne for loading January 28-February 1, against a best offer heard from Singapore trader Hin Leong at $158.
The product last traded on Tuesday at $157.25.
No bids were heard for 380-cst and only one offer was heard from Kinetic at $154 a tonne.