LaycanDeskGulf to India sulphur and fertilizer freight - Ruwais, Jubail and Mesaieed to Paradip, Vizag, Kandla and Mundra
Granular sulphur, urea and DAP from the Gulf refineries and fertilizer plants into the Indian phosphate and fertilizer ports on Supramax to Panamax tonnage. Ruwais, Jubail, Mesaieed and Sohar to Paradip, Vizag, Kandla and Mundra: granular sulphur for the phosphoric acid plants, urea and DAP for the fertilizer season, in 30,000 to 65,000 tonne cargoes on Supramax to Panamax tonnage, with the refinery or plant and the charterer named before any owner is asked.
The Gulf is the world's largest source of granular sulphur, recovered from sour gas and crude at the refineries and gas plants behind Ruwais, Jubail and Mesaieed: Qatar alone exported 3.1 million tonnes in 2024 (UN Comtrade), and Sohar and Duqm in Oman load outside the Strait of Hormuz. India's phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizer plants at Paradip, Vizag and on the Gujarat coast burn it, and the same ports take urea and DAP from the Gulf fertilizer complexes for the kharif and rabi seasons, so demand peaks ahead of the May and October sowings. Sulphur is a Group C cargo loaded by shore conveyor at 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes a day, with a stowage factor that lets a Supramax lift a full cargo; urea and DAP are loaded the same way but must be kept dry, so the hatch covers and hold condition are surveyed before loading. Paradip and Vizag take a laden Panamax at 14 metres and more; Kandla and Mundra work Supramax and Ultramax lots on the tide. The passage is four to seven days.
A sulphur or fertilizer stem goes to owners with the refinery or plant and its loading berth, the quantity and tolerance, the discharge port with its draft on the laycan, the load and discharge rates with laytime terms, the laycan, the commission and the charterer's name; the desk asks for the producer first because most of the sulphur offered on this lane comes from intermediaries without a plant behind them, and a cargo without a named producer is not worked. Owners with geared Supramax and Ultramax and gearless Panamax tonnage opening in the Gulf, the Red Sea or the west coast of India send positions, and the desk holds them against the stems on the board; the 13 September sweep sighted 15 hulls at Ruwais. Every counterparty and every ship is screened by name and IMO number before an offer, and the charterer hears back with named ships and open dates rather than a general level. We work by email.
Load ports
- Ruwais (granular sulphur, urea)
- Jubail (sulphur, urea, DAP)
- Mesaieed (sulphur, urea)
- Sohar and Duqm (sulphur, outside Hormuz)
Discharge ports
- Paradip (phosphoric acid and DAP plants, Panamax draft)
- Vizag (sulphur, fertilizer, deep water)
- Kandla (tidal, Supramax lots)
- Mundra and Hazira (fertilizer, 14 m and more)
Typical parcels
- Granular sulphur 30,000–65,000 t, Supramax to Panamax
- Urea 25,000–55,000 t, geared Supramax
- DAP 25,000–50,000 t
- Loading by shore conveyor 10,000–20,000 t/day
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
Questions charterers and owners ask
What ship carries a Gulf sulphur cargo to India?
A Supramax or Ultramax for 30,000 to 60,000 tonnes into Kandla, Mundra or Vizag, and a Panamax for a full cargo into Paradip or Vizag, where the draft allows 14 metres and more. Sulphur is a Group C cargo with a stowage factor that fills a Supramax on her marks, so the choice is usually made by the discharge draft.
What do owners ask about urea and DAP?
That the holds are clean, dry and free of previous cargo residue, and that the hatch covers are weathertight, because both cargoes cake if wet. A hold survey at the load port is standard, and the stem should say who arranges and pays for it.
When is the fertilizer season on this lane?
Demand peaks ahead of the kharif sowing in May and June and the rabi sowing in October and November, so urea and DAP stems cluster in the months before each. Sulphur for the phosphoric acid plants runs year-round on contract.
What must I send to get a named ship?
The refinery or plant and its loading berth, cargo and stowage factor, quantity and tolerance, discharge port with its draft on the laycan, load and discharge rates with laytime terms, laycan, commission and the charterer's name. A sulphur cargo without a named producer is not put to owners.