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OW Bunker, one of the world’s leading suppliers and traders of marine fuel, has today highlighted the success of its Australian operation, just one year since its establishment in Melbourne in September 2008.

Following the completion of feasibility studies, future plans include the potential development of a physical presence, to work in conjunction with the trading and risk management divisions, as well as seizing the opportunities in the offshore sector.

In the past year, OW Bunker Australia says it has significantly expanded its customer base, working with some of the largest ship owners and operators in the region, as well developing quality relationships with the fishing fleets operating in New Zealand and around the Pacific Islands, and the cruise industry.

It also says it continues to support OW Bunker’s Singapore division, a place where many companies within the Australian shipping community run their operations, but need reliable access to quality products and services from key Australian ports, including Geelong, Botany Bay and Freemantle.

In line with the Group’s corporate strategy of streamlining purchasing activities, OW Bunker Australia also acts as the purchasing centre for the entire Group in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island. The concept is aimed at creating a core hub that pools all knowledge of the market and the region into a central location with a single point of contact for all enquiries, as well as ensuring that the Group and its customers have access to a complete trading solution 24 hours a day.

While the fishing, cruise and bulker sectors are the mainstay of the Australian shipping industry, OW Bunker is focused on securing real growth in the thriving offshore market, an area where the company has real expertise. The development in activity in the extensive oil and gas regions of the North West Shelf provides real opportunity for OW Bunker supplying Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) to oil rigs and their support vessels.

OW Bunker also aims to capitalize on the opportunities from the A$50 billion Gorgon petroleum project in Western Australia, which involves the development of the Greater Gorgon gas fields, providing quality fuel products to the support and supply vessels as well as the LNG vessels on the conclusion of the project.

Commenting on the development, Stefan Poulus, Branch Manager, OW Bunker Australia, said: “Despite the economic downturn, shipping is critical to the Australian economy, a region that is so rich in natural resources and relies heavily on export. Coupled with the developments in the offshore market, and the LNG sector, Australia is a market of opportunity for OW Bunker in its own right, as well as providing vital support to the Singapore operation and the rest of the Group. We are confident of continuing the successes and growth of our first year, expanding our presence accordingly, and looking for all opportunities that can help improve our service and offering for customers.”