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NewOcean records USD 174 million 1H 2020 loss; Singapore bunkering business remains

Covid and the slump in oil prices substantially reduced gross profit margins for the company’s bunkering and electronics businesses, it said in a recent financial filing.
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New Ocean Energy 1

Hong Kong-listed NewOcean Energy Holdings Limited (NewOcean), the parent company of bunkering firm NewOcean Fuel, on Monday (31 August) published its unaudited interim results for the first six months (1H) ending 30 June, 2020. 

Following the profit warning posted by the group on Friday (28 August),  NewOcean reported a HKD 1,351 million (USD 174 million) loss for 1H 2020; the group recorded consolidated profit of 301 million (USD 38.9 million) in 1H 2019.

The loss was mainly due to the drop in gross profit and additional provision for account receivables, inventories and property, plant and equipment, it said. 

Due to COVID-19 and the slump in global oil prices, the gross profit margin derived from oil bunkering business and electronic business has been substantially reduced or turned into gross loss margin, explained NewOcean. 

The overall gross margin from these sectors decreased to 0.4% as compared to 6.2% of the same period in last year.

On top of the above, the company noted it also experienced undue delay in trade receivables collection and inventory being sold at a loss in recent months, therefore it has to make additional impairment losses on trade receivables and allowance for inventories for 1H 2020.

The additional impairment losses amount to HKD 554 million (USD 71.5 million), as opposed to HKD 8 million recorded in the same period last year.

Due to the collapse of Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd and the global oil slump in 1H 2020, NewOcean noted a number of banks demanded a reduction in short term credit extended to the company. 

In order to mitigate the liquidity pressure and to improve its financial position, the company said its Directors have implemented a proactive approach to negotiate with banks to arrange and agree on a debt restructuring.

“Our gross margin of LPG business remained above 10%. Since our major competitors had turned to cut-throat tactics to sell products in large lots at low prices for cashing in during March and April, we unwillingly had to use the same tactic for our oil products business, that was to sell products below costs for the depletion of its holding stock to avoid further impairment risks from the ongoing oil price slump,” said NewOcean in its report. 

“These explain the recorded negative gross profits in our marine bunkering business during March and April. 

“As the market had restored in May and June, both our gross profits and gross margin had adjusted back to normal, despite the fact that our average overall gross profits for the six months were dragged down to a low of 1.11% (same period of last year: 4.28%).”

NewOcean said it will scale down its oil products business to focus on the sales of products with high gross profits as well as measures to reduce costs. 

Since the cost of refueling business in Hong Kong is relatively high, the company said it is committed to selling wholesale to clients who are distributors, and to lease its existing oil tankers to wholesalers.

Its bunkering business at Singapore will still continue operations due to relatively stable gross profits and high commodity flow.

Moving forward, NewOcean noted it will take the occupancy of around 100,000 tonnes among the total leased capacity of 300,000 tonnes of storage, while the balance of 200,000 tonnes will be leased to third parties to reduce overhead costs. 

Related: NewOcean Energy publishes profit warning to shareholders ahead of 1H 2020 results
Related: NewOcean Energy records 66% bunker sales jump to 4.5 million mt in FY 2019


Photo credit: NewOcean Energy Holdings
Published: 1 September, 2020

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Winding up

Singapore: Annual general meetings scheduled for Xihe Holdings subsidiaries

Annual general meetings of companies/creditors will be held electronically from between 21 July to 5 for 11 subsidiaries of Xihe Holdings.

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July 7, 2026

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Several notices were published on the Government Gazette on Tuesday (26 May) regarding the annual general meetings of the companies and creditors to be held electronically from between 21 July to 5 August for 11 subsidiaries of Xihe Holdings. 

Annual general meetings for Xin Dun Shipping are to be held on 21 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 4pm

Annual general meetings for Xin Ya Shipping are to be held on 24 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 3pm

Annual general meetings for Xin Chun Shipping are to be held on 21 July at the following times:

  • For the company: 2pm
  • For the creditors: 3pm

Annual general meetings for Nan Sia Maritime are to be held on 24 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 2pm

Annual general meetings for Nan Hai Maritime are to be held on 23 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 3pm

Annual general meetings for Hua Xin Shipping are to be held on 4 August at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 3pm

Annual general meetings for Hua Kang Shipping are to be held on 23 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 2pm

Annual general meetings for Hua Gang Shipping are to be held on 4 August at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 2pm

Annual general meetings for Hua An Shipping are to be held on 22 July at the following time:

  • For the company and creditors: 4pm

Annual general meetings for Dong Fang Shipping are to be held on 22 July at the following times:

  • For the company: 2pm
  • For the creditors: 3pm

Annual general meeting for Nan Ya Maritime is to be held on 5 August at the following time:

  • For the company: 2pm

The agenda for all the meetings are:

  • To receive an update on the liquidation.
  • To receive an account of the Liquidators’ acts and dealings, and of the conduct of the winding up.

The following are the details of the liquidator: 

Ho May Kee
Liquidator
c/o 8 Marina View
#40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1
Singapore 018960

 

Photo credit: Benjamin Child
Published: 7 July, 2026

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Methanol

CRI delivers world’s largest e-methanol reactor to Liaoyuan project in China

First phase of the project has a production capacity of 170,000 mt of renewable methanol annually, supporting demand for low-carbon fuels in shipping, chemicals, and other sectors.
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July 7, 2026

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CRI delivers world’s largest e-methanol reactor to Liaoyuan project in China

Carbon Recycling International (CRI) has recently delivered the largest of its kind e-methanol reactor for the Liaoyuan E-Methanol Project in Jilin Province, China. 

CRI, a company that develops and deploys technology that converts carbon dioxide emissions into renewable methanol, said the delivery and successful installation of CRI’s proprietary methanol converter reactor is a major construction milestone. 

“The project continues to progress according to plan toward commissioning and start-up later this year,” it said. 

The Liaoyuan project is being developed by CRI’s client Tianying Group (CNTY) and once commissioned will become the largest e-methanol facility in operation globally. 

The first phase has a production capacity of approximately 170,000 metric tonnes (mt) of renewable methanol annually from green hydrogen and captured biogenic carbon dioxide, supporting the growing demand for low-carbon fuels in shipping, chemicals, and other sectors seeking practical and scalable pathways to decarbonisation.

The methanol converter reactor forms the core of CRI’s proprietary Emissions-to-Liquids (ETL) technology. Designed and supplied by CRI, the reactor is where renewable hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide are converted into renewable methanol through the company’s proven industrial-scale process. It has been specifically designed and constructed with operational flexibility as a key feature and represents the third generation of CRI’s e-methanol reactor design.

The successful installation represented a significant construction milestone and marked the transition to the final stages of project execution.

“The installation of the methanol converter reactor is an important milestone for both Tianying and CRI,” said John Milner, Project Manager at Carbon Recycling International. 

“The reactor is the core of our ETL technology and embodies nearly two decades of innovation, engineering development, and commercial operating experience. Seeing this equipment installed at one of the world’s most ambitious renewable energy projects is a proud moment for our team and a major milestone as the Liaoyuan facility advances toward commissioning and start-up.”

CRI’s technology is already deployed at commercial scale at the company’s reference plants in Anyang and Lianyungang, and the Liaoyuan project represents the next step in the continued deployment of carbon recycling technology to support the production of renewable fuels and chemicals.

 

Photo credit: Carbon Recycling International
Published: 7 July, 2026

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Business

Bunker Oil inks four-year bunker fuel supply deal with Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency

Framework agreement, which entered into force on 1 July, is for the supply of fuel to vessels belonging to the Navy, Coastal Hunter Command, Coast Guard and Governor of Svalbard, among others.
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July 7, 2026

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Bunker Oil inks four-year bunker fuel supply deal with Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency

Norwegian marine fuel supplier Bunker Oil on Friday (3 July) said it has signed a new four-year framework agreement with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency for the supply of marine fuel.

The fuel will be supplied to vessels belonging to the Navy, the Coastal Hunter Command, the Coast Guard, the Governor of Svalbard, the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Institute of Marine Research and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, among others.

The new agreement entered into force on 1 July, following the expiry of the current agreement on 30 June 2026. 

The agreement covers the delivery of fuel from Bunker Oil’s plants, tankers and tankers along the entire Norwegian coast – from Kirkenes in the north to Egersund in the south.

The company said Bunker Oil’s strong presence along the coast has been a decisive factor. 

“The authorities have signalled increased activity and presence from the Navy and the Coast Guard in the waters off Troms and Finnmark,” the company said.

“With large facilities in Kirkenes, Båtsfjord, Honningsvåg, Hammerfest and Tromsø, in addition to several smaller facilities, Bunker Oil is well equipped for increased activity in the High North. The facilities in Tromsø, with their proximity to Olavsvern, will be particularly important during the agreement period.”

The deliveries will vary in size – from a few thousand litres for the Coastal Ranger Command’s smaller vessels, to several hundred cubic metres for the Navy’s other fleet.

The contract’s financial framework is estimated at NOK 1.2 to 1.5 billion (USD 122.59 million to USD 153.24 million), and the agreement will have a major impact on activity at Bunker Oil’s facilities along the entire coast.

A renewal of the Navy’s fleet is also underway, and Bunker Oil said it is looking forward to supplying fuel to the new vessels as well.

“We look forward to four more years as a supplier of fuel to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency,” said Tore Slinning, contract manager at Bunker Oil.

“The agreement is of great importance to Bunker Oil, in addition to the fishing fleet, which is still by far our largest and most important customer group.”

 

Photo credit: Bunker Oil
Published: 7 July, 2026

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