ExxonMobil has described its efforts to patent low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) that can meet the IMO 2020 requirement as “normal industry practice”, suggesting that those ­attempts are a defence play against competitors.

As TradeWinds has reported, ExxonMobil is among energy companies that have obtained ­patents for its LSFO products in the US, prompting concerns that future production of the IMO-­compliant bunkers could be concentrated among a handful of players.