0636 GMT: Crude oil futures were lower in mid-afternoon trade Sept. 24, as coronavirus concerns and a negative economic forecast weighed on oil, but a US stock draw helped pare losses.

West African imports of ultra low sulfur diesel -- with maximum 15 ppm sulfur -- in September were expected to reach 484,000 mt, which would be the highest monthly volume in data going back to January 2017 and in which the average was 117,000 mt, according to commodity data company Kpler on Sept. 24.

Diesel and gasoil inventories in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp trading hub dropped from a 13-month high, slipping 5.5% week on week to 2.787 million mt as of Sept. 23, Insights Global data released Sept. 24 showed.

Gasoline cracks rise in midday US trading Sept. 24 as RBOB futures climbed against an oil complex that otherwise lacked direction.

"The market is still very volatile, so I am going to wait till the very end of the month to place a bid for October term," a Singapore-based bunker trader said.

Total container shipments at China's ports increased 1.3% on the month in August, data published by the Ministry of Transport showed.

Korean refiners have reduced operating ratio due to bad gasoil cracks, resulting in a drop in fuel oil volumes, a source said.

"We are likely to skip [LSFO exports] in October as well. We are just focusing on meeting our domestic bunker demand for the time-being," a company source said.

Sources said this tanker was chartered by Unipec, which has regularly lifted Libya's Sarir/Mesla crude.

Fossil LNG gains a significant share until regulations tighten in 2030 or 2040 depending on the decarbonization pathway,it said.

"Two suppliers left the Fujairah bunker market, which has reduced the competition," Mali said.