Maritec examined a number of samples representing VLSFO deliveries in Jebel Ali & Fujairah, United Arab Emirates with Pour Point increased higher than 33°C from 29 January to 13 February. The VLSFO bunkers were delivered by a number of suppliers and barges.
An excessive pour level gasoline may cause an elevated demand on the heating necessities for the gasoline in the storage tanks. Moreover despite the fact that ISO8217 limits the chilly movement properties of a gasoline by way of setting a restrict on the pour level, wax crystals in VLSFOs can kind at a better temperature than the pour level often called the Wax Appearance Temperature (or WAT).
This may be difficult to vessel operations in colder working areas, because the wax particles can quickly block filters, plugging them utterly.
Removal of those fashioned wax crystals require the gasoline to be heated and maintained at temperatures above the WAT often known as Wax Disappearance Temperature (or WDT).
With excessive WAT & WDT, vessel with constraints in the design of the tank heating association and the ambient temperature in the realm of operation and thus not be capable of obtain the temperatures.
Transfer of gasoline from storage tanks to settling tanks will likely be close to unattainable to maintain the day by day consumption of the vessel.
Maritec recommends testing the WAT and WDT of a gasoline as soon as the examined pour level exceeds 21°C. Once the minimal temperature to which a gasoline have to be heated to soften the wax is instantly identified, the vessel can know and keep away from operational points nicely in advance.
