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Imports of fuel oil into the Bohai Bay - one of the three bays forming the Bohai Gulf in northeast China - are expeced to decrease by 46.3 percent during the month of February, ICIS reports.

According to the data, 830,000-840,000 tonnes of fuel oil are forecast to arrive in February, representing a decrease of 750,000 tonnes, or 46.3 percent, on the previous month.

The expected fall in imports is attributed primarily to a higher build up of stock levels in January, market sources said.

Of the imports, around 270,000 tonnes are expected to be from Singapore, 170,000 tonnes from Europe, 160,000-170,000 tonnes from Southeast Asia, 90,000 tonnes from Venezuela and a combined 70,000 tonnes from South Korea and Russia.

670,000-680,000 tonnes of the imports are expected to reach ports in Shandong Province, 130,000 tonnes to arrive in Tianjin and the remaining 30,000 tonnes to flow to Dalian.

140,000-150,000 tonnes of the imports are forecast to be mixed/cracked fuel oil and the rest to be straight-run fuel oil, ICIS said.