New Zealand’s fuel distribution network is continuing to show signs of increasing operational strain as tanker movements become more concentrated around key ports while several regional terminals remain without confirmed incoming shipments.
Exclusive report for elocal by Dave Trotter
The latest NZ Fuel Watch interim shipping charts, updated Friday May 8, reveal only five new fuel vessels currently entering the national distribution cycle this month, while much of the country’s supply work continues to rely on a core group of approximately 22 tankers already operating within the coastal network.
According to the latest analysis, many of those vessels are now nearing the end of their operational rotations.
“The charts are only actually showing five new vessels so far this month,” Dave Trotter said in Friday’s assessment.
“We’ve got 22 tankers that have done most of the work so far this month and they’re about at the end of their journeys now.”
National Port Overview
At present, fuel activity is spread across nine active moorings servicing eight ports nationwide, however two ports — Timaru and Napier — remain without confirmed inbound shipments listed in the current forecast period.
The latest shipping schedules continue to highlight Marsden Point as the primary intake hub for large international carriers.
Three large crude carriers are currently expected to arrive there over the coming period and are not presently scheduled to continue onward to additional domestic ports.
One notable exception is the Hafnia Falcon, a heavy fuel oil carrier which is expected to continue deeper into the national distribution network after unloading at Marsden Point.
Current Key Tanker Movements
| Vessel |
Current / Forecast Route |
Operational Notes |
| Hafnia Falcon |
Marsden Point → Tauranga → Wellington → Bluff |
Heavy fuel oil redistribution southbound |
| Gem Emerald |
Tauranga → South Island |
Key southern fuel replenishment vessel |
| Grand Winner 3 |
Nelson → Wellington |
Revised route activity observed |
| STI Vertis |
Singapore → Tauranga only |
Single-port call currently listed |
| Chiang Hai Kai 2 |
Tauranga → Wellington |
Limited onward movement |
| Koyoto |
New Plymouth |
Potentially final scheduled tanker |
| Steam Discovery |
Christchurch → Bluff |
Newly listed South Island movement |
| CC Ningbo |
Tauranga ↔ Nelson |
Unusual repeat redistribution pattern |
Marsden Point Continues To Carry Bulk Supply Load
Marsden Point remains central to the current fuel import structure, with large overseas carriers continuing to terminate there rather than undertaking broader multi-port coastal distribution runs.
This operational model places greater pressure on domestic redistribution movements further down the supply chain.
The Hafnia Falcon currently appears to be one of the few larger vessels continuing southbound beyond Marsden Point, with scheduled calls at Tauranga, Wellington and Bluff.
Tauranga Increasingly Important In Southbound Distribution
Tauranga continues to function as one of the country’s most active redistribution points.
The Gem Emerald is expected to arrive Saturday morning and is viewed as an important vessel for restoring South Island supply flows.
Meanwhile the Grand Winner 3, after leaving Nelson, has altered routing patterns and is now scheduled to return to Wellington.
The STI Vertis, arriving from Singapore, currently appears limited to Tauranga operations only.
Single-Port Tanker Operations Raising Questions
One of the stronger operational patterns emerging from the latest charts is the increasing number of vessels servicing only one or two ports before leaving the domestic network.
“We’re getting vessels that are coming in to just one single port, or they’re just going to one or two ports and not going any further,” Trotter noted.
“We need to see them at least going to two and three, and possibly a fourth port, but this is not going on.”
The reduced multi-port distribution model is now becoming increasingly noticeable throughout the regional network.
Regional Port Status
| Port |
Current Position |
| Napier |
No confirmed incoming fuel shipments listed |
| Timaru |
Still limited to two listed vessels |
| New Plymouth |
Koyoto may be last scheduled tanker |
| Nelson |
No additional listings currently beyond May 19 |
| Dunedin |
One vessel listed on May 15 |
| Bluff |
Awaiting Steam Discovery arrival on May 21 |
While most ports are generally capable of operating through approximately 20-day periods without immediate visible supply fractures, the absence of additional scheduled shipments is beginning to stand out.
Redistribution Activity Around CC Ningbo Being Closely Watched
One of the more unusual operational developments this week involves the tanker CC Ningbo.
After already completing extensive North Island movements and departing Nelson toward Marsden Point, the vessel subsequently returned again to Tauranga before heading back once more toward Nelson.
The repeated routing changes are now drawing attention.
“What I can gather from that behaviour is either there’s quite a lot of fuel actually being moved around to bring the stocks back up,” Trotter said.
“Or there could be fuel that’s out of spec, which we don’t need to be seeing right now.”
The vessel’s next destination may provide a stronger indication of whether fuel balancing operations are intensifying within the network.
Fuel System Remains Operational But Tightening Patterns Continue
At this stage there is no indication of imminent shortages or visible breakdown within the national fuel system.
However, the May charts continue to reflect a highly managed and increasingly concentrated supply environment following the closure of the Marsden Point refinery.
The combination of limited new arrivals, reduced multi-port tanker rotations, increasing redistribution behaviour and several quiet regional ports suggests the network continues operating under tight logistical balancing conditions.
Whether additional shipments emerge later in the month may determine how much further pressure develops across the regional system.
❧
Dave Trotter is an independent Fuel Compilation Analyst and founder of Marsden Point News Radio. He tracks fuel tanker movements in and out of New Zealand using real-time shipping and port data following the Marsden Point Refinery closure. His work provides a factual, ground-level view of NZ’s fuel supply, focusing on imports, storage, and distribution across multiple ports. Dave publishes regular updates at www.davidtrotter.co.nz and via Telegram.