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Aegean Marine Petroleum Inc on Monday informed the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it will not be able to file its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2017 by the prescribed April 30 due date for filing - because it requires more time.

In a notification of late filing with the SEC, Aegean explained: "Additional time is needed for the Registrant to complete its consolidated financial statements and assessment of internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017."

The bunker firm added that it was unlikely that it will be able to file its annual report during the first half of May.

"The Registrant does not expect to file the Annual Report within the 15 calendar days following the prescribed due date, but is using its best efforts to finalize its financial statements and file its Annual Report with the Commission as soon as practicable," Aegean stated.

The notification form was authorized by Aegean's new chief financial officer (CFO), Pavlos Papageorgiou, whose position was formally announced just over a month ago, on March 17. He succeeded Spyros Gianniotis.

In the form, Aegean indicated that it expects to file a "significant change in results of operations from the corresponding period for the last fiscal year", and referred to its preliminary unaudited results - revealed in March - when a net loss of $29.3m was recorded for 2017 compared to a net income of $51.9m for 2016.

Aegean said the loss was "a result of, among other things, challenging bunker market conditions and non-recurring expenses".

The NYSE-listed company added that the aforementioned financial data "consists of preliminary unaudited results, which will not be final until the Registrant files its audited financial statements in the Annual Report".