Singapore bunker prices rose on Thursday, tracking marginally higher fuel oil cargo values. Bunker fuel of 380-centistoke (cst) grade was pegged at $193-$195 a tonne, up $1 from the previous trading day, widening the premium to cargo levels by 25 cents to $2.25 a tonne. "Demand is very thin today as most shipowners were put off by the high prices and are not keen to buy. Only those who had prompt requirements bought anything simply because they don't have a choice," a Singapore-based trader said.

"Offers were heard around $196-$197 a tonne for high-end suppliers, while the mid-tier independents were around $193-$194, but the cowboys seems to have disappeared today."

Copyright Reuters, 2005