Petroleum · Reference Price

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Fuel Oil 180 cSt Price — 19 October 2026

Fuel Oil 180 cSt: 5-day delayed public reference as of 19 October 2026. Get daily verified market data with Price Access from $29.90/month.

The Fuel Oil 180 cSt indicative reference price as of 19 October 2026 was $620/MT. This is a 5-day delayed reference closing reference derived from ICE Brent crude futures and industry-standard crack spread methodology. Today's Fuel Oil 180 price data is available through Price Access.

$/MT Reference · 19 October 2026

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5-day delayed reference price

Price shown is from 19 October 2026. Price Access members see current daily prices from verified market data.

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Reference Price — Not a Tradeable Quote

This indicative price is generated using proprietary market models based on publicly available benchmark data. Intended solely as a market reference — not a firm quotation or offer to transact. Verified executable offers available through the Skyra CIP platform.

Fuel Oil 180 Reference Price

$620/MT

$/MT

Reference Date

19 October 2026

5-day delayed reference

About Fuel Oil 180 cSt Pricing

Fuel Oil 180 cSt (1.0% sulphur, Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) is a residual fuel oil produced at the bottom of the refining barrel, traditionally used as marine bunker fuel and industrial boiler fuel. It is the lighter-viscosity counterpart to the heavier 380 cSt grade, making it suitable for vessels and industrial users without high-capacity fuel preheating systems. The Rotterdam (ARA) hub is Europe's primary pricing and bunkering reference for residual fuel oil.

Since the IMO 2020 global sulphur cap took effect on 1 January 2020, the fuel oil market split structurally between IMO-compliant low-sulphur grades (VLSFO at 0.5% and LSFO at 1.0%) and legacy high-sulphur 380 cSt fuel oil, which now trades at a persistent discount and is restricted to vessels equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers/EGCS). This regulatory restructuring created a durable premium for 180 cSt and other LSFO grades over their high-sulphur counterparts.

Global Fuel Oil Pricing Hubs

Residual fuel oil prices vary by region due to refinery supply, local demand, and shipping costs:

Rotterdam (ARA) — Europe's primary fuel oil trading and bunkering hub. Rotterdam prices are benchmarked by platts assessments and reflect NWE refinery output and vessel bunkering demand along the main Atlantic shipping lanes.
Singapore — the world's largest bunkering port by volume, Singapore's fuel oil prices reflect Asian refinery flows, VLCC and container shipping demand on East–West routes, and Chinese refinery crude slate decisions.
Fujairah — the key Middle East bunkering hub at the Strait of Hormuz, supplying vessels on the Arabia–Asia and Arabia–Europe routes with both VLSFO and residual fuel grades.

Key Fuel Oil 180 Price Drivers

Brent crude price — the primary input cost; residual fuel oil typically trades at a significant discount to Brent on a per-tonne basis, but the absolute price tracks crude movements closely
Crude slate complexity — refineries processing heavier, more sulphurous crude produce more residual fuel output; a shift to lighter crude slates reduces supply and supports prices
LSFO/HSFO spread — the premium of compliant low-sulphur fuel over HSFO; a wider spread reflects greater regulatory compliance pressure and signals tighter LSFO supply relative to HSFO
IMO 2020 and sulphur regulations — structural demand shift from HSFO to LSFO grades since 2020; future regulatory tightening (ECA expansion, CII ratings) could reshape demand further
Marine bunkering demand — global shipping activity, fleet size, and vessel speed determine aggregate fuel demand at major ports
ARA storage levels — Insights Global weekly fuel oil inventory data for the ARA region is the most closely watched short-term supply signal in Europe
Power generation demand — industrial and power-sector offtake in the Middle East and Asia provides a floor for residual fuel demand outside marine bunkering

How Fuel Oil 180 Is Purchased

Fuel Oil 180 is purchased either as bunker fuel (delivered on board at port, in quantities of 500–3,000 MT) or in cargo parcels for industrial users (10,000–30,000 MT on a vessel). Commercial terms typically specify sulphur content, viscosity at 50°C, flashpoint, and density. Payment is usually by MT103 SWIFT wire or confirmed letter of credit at sight. An independent inspection (SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas) at load port to verify quality against the agreed specification is standard practice.

Fuel Oil 180 Price by Trading Hub

Fuel Oil 180 Price FAQ

What is the Fuel Oil 180 price on 19 October 2026?

The Fuel Oil 180 (1.0% LSFO) price shown above is an indicative FOB Rotterdam reference calculated from underlying Brent crude data. For firm tradeable prices, contact a verified supplier on the Skyra CIP platform.

How is Fuel Oil 180 price calculated?

Fuel Oil 1.0% (180 cSt) is priced as Brent crude minus a negative processing margin (residual fuel oil trades below crude on a per-tonne basis), benchmarked against FOB Rotterdam market assessments. The precise discount reflects crude slate complexity, refinery configuration, and the current LSFO/HSFO price spread.

What is the difference between 180 cSt and 380 cSt fuel oil?

180 cSt (centistokes, a measure of kinematic viscosity at 50°C) fuel oil is a lower-viscosity grade compared to 380 cSt and is typically associated with 1.0% or lower sulphur content. Lower viscosity means it can be pumped and burned at lower temperatures, reducing heating costs for vessel operators. Since IMO 2020, 180 cSt grades trading at 1.0% sulphur carry a premium over legacy 380 cSt HSFO (3.5% sulphur), which is restricted to scrubber-fitted vessels.

What is Fuel Oil 180 used for?

Fuel Oil 180 (1.0% LSFO) is used primarily as marine bunker fuel for vessels operating outside IMO Emission Control Areas (ECAs) that require 0.1% sulphur fuels, as industrial boiler fuel in power generation, and as a blending component in refineries. Its lower viscosity relative to 380 cSt makes it suitable for vessels without high-capacity fuel heating systems.

What does LSFO mean?

LSFO stands for Low Sulphur Fuel Oil — a residual fuel oil with sulphur content at or below 1.0% m/m. LSFO grades include 0.5% VLSFO (used since IMO 2020) and 1.0% fuel oil grades such as 180 cSt. These are contrasted with HSFO (High Sulphur Fuel Oil, 3.5% sulphur), which requires scrubber-fitted vessels to use legally in international waters.

What is the LSFO/HSFO spread and why does it matter?

The LSFO/HSFO spread is the price premium of low-sulphur fuel oil over high-sulphur 380 cSt fuel oil. It is the key metric for scrubber economics: shipowners with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS/scrubbers) can burn cheaper HSFO, saving the spread value per tonne. When the spread is wide ($80–150/MT), scrubbers provide strong payback; when it narrows ($20–40/MT), the economics weaken.

What is Fuel Oil 180 used for in power generation?

In regions where environmental regulations permit, Fuel Oil 180 cSt is used in heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plants and industrial boilers as a cost-effective energy source. It is particularly prevalent in parts of the Middle East, Asia, and developing markets where power infrastructure was built around residual fuel oil. Tightening sulphur regulations globally have been gradually replacing HFO in this sector with natural gas or lower-sulphur alternatives.

How is residual fuel oil different from distillate fuels?

Residual fuel oils (including FO180 and FO380) are the heavy fractions that remain at the bottom of the crude oil distillation column after lighter products — naphtha, gasoil, kerosene, diesel — have been extracted. They require heating to remain pumpable (typically to 50–60°C for 180 cSt, higher for 380 cSt) and have much higher carbon content and density than distillate fuels. This makes them cheaper per tonne but more complex to handle and burn cleanly.

How is Fuel Oil 180 purchased?

Fuel Oil 180 is transacted in barge lots (500–3,000 MT) for bunkering or in cargo parcels (10,000–30,000 MT) for industrial supply. Pricing is typically agreed at a discount or premium to the prevailing ICE Brent or platts assessments, with payment via LC at sight or MT103 SWIFT wire. Independent inspection and quality certificates (sulphur content, viscosity, flashpoint) are standard requirements at load port.

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