Petrobras has resumed bunkering operations at the Rio Grande terminal in southern Brazil, three days after a storm knocked out power and forced a suspension of fuel deliveries, according to Ship & Bunker.
Power Restored, Facilities Inspected
According to Ship & Bunker, Petrobras’s bunkering division informed customers in an emailed notice on Thursday that power had been restored at the Rio Grande Terminal and that a full inspection of the facilities had been completed before operations restarted. The company stated that the restart “reflects what consistently guides our actions: safety first, operational reliability, and high-quality service,” as reported by Ship & Bunker. Customers were directed to contact their Petrobras trader to arrange scheduling for deliveries.
Storm Knocked Out Terminal Power on Monday
Ship & Bunker reports that Petrobras suspended bunkering deliveries at the port on Monday after a tropical storm with winds exceeding 100 km/h struck the city in the early morning hours. The storm damaged local infrastructure and cut power to the terminal where the company’s supply barges load fuel. At the time, Petrobras said it was “not yet possible to reliably estimate when operations will be able to resume,” and could not confirm whether the outage would last hours or extend into days, according to the report.
The notice reviewed by Ship & Bunker does not specify the exact time deliveries resumed on Thursday, nor does it clarify whether any bunker stems were missed or diverted to other ports during the three-day stoppage.
Does This Matter to You?
Vessel operators, charterers, and bunker traders with calls scheduled at Rio Grande may have experienced delays or rescheduled stems during the outage, given that deliveries were halted for three days following the storm. With power now restored and the terminal back in operation, customers are being asked to coordinate directly with their Petrobras trader to confirm updated scheduling, as noted in the company’s customer notice reported by Ship & Bunker.
The source material does not indicate the scale of disruption to individual vessel calls or whether backlogs have built up at the port, so the broader operational impact on shipping schedules in the region remains unclear based on available reporting.
Gulf Bunkering does not provide operational or security guidance. This article is for informational purposes only. Operators should consult flag state authorities, P&I clubs, and relevant advisories for decisions relating to transit planning.
Sources: Ship & Bunker
