Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Saturday, March 25, 2023
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    safety alert

    USCG: Adherence to instructions for inflatable boats is crucial

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    maritime law

    MNWB: UK’s new law will boost seafarer welfare

    Ship dislodged in Edinburgh dockyard injuring 35 people

    Ship dislodged in Edinburgh dockyard injuring 35 people

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Why sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand

    Why sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand

    Life coaching tips: How to maintain a good work-life balance

    Life coaching tips: How to maintain a good work-life balance

    Wabi sabi

    Wabi Sabi: Imperfection makes perfection at work

    sexual abuse

    Sexual abuse at sea: Where we stand

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    Anglo-French alliance signs MoU for green corridor on Dover Strait

    Anglo-French alliance signs MoU for green corridor on Dover Strait

    Maersk signs MoU on methanol bunkering with Shanghai Port

    Maersk signs MoU on methanol bunkering with Shanghai Port

    CapLab decarbonization center established at Molo Giano

    CapLab decarbonization center established at Molo Giano

    EIA LNG

    EIA: Europe was the main destination for U.S. LNG exports in 2022

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Ports of Stockholm

    Ports of Stockholm to focus on the safety aspects of autonomous ships

    NAPA: Simulation software aids in predicting CII

    NAPA: Simulation software aids in predicting CII

    Canada, UK join forces for R&D digital project on decarbonization

    Canada, UK join forces for R&D digital project on decarbonization

    technology

    How a joined-up approach to technology drives people performance

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    australia sea mines

    AMSA imposes 90-day ban on Dutch vessel

    Singapore

    Eco Spark arrested in Singapore

    Liberia

    Liberia: key guidance for machinery space deficiencies

    orange county oil spill fines

    Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines to pay $950,000 in civil penalties

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    Ports of Stockholm

    Ports of Stockholm to focus on the safety aspects of autonomous ships

    SAFETY4SEA, Europort once again join forces to present a set of 15 prestigious awards

    SAFETY4SEA, Europort once again join forces to present a set of 15 prestigious awards

    IMO wishes for further extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative

    IMO wishes for further extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative

  • Columns
    WSC: Minimising accidents is at the top of liner shipping’s agenda

    WSC: Minimising accidents is at the top of liner shipping’s agenda

    technology

    How a joined-up approach to technology drives people performance

    SCMA: Maritime arbitration is expected to rise in prominence

    SCMA: Maritime arbitration is expected to rise in prominence

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    safety alert

    USCG: Adherence to instructions for inflatable boats is crucial

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    maritime law

    MNWB: UK’s new law will boost seafarer welfare

    Ship dislodged in Edinburgh dockyard injuring 35 people

    Ship dislodged in Edinburgh dockyard injuring 35 people

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Why sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand

    Why sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand

    Life coaching tips: How to maintain a good work-life balance

    Life coaching tips: How to maintain a good work-life balance

    Wabi sabi

    Wabi Sabi: Imperfection makes perfection at work

    sexual abuse

    Sexual abuse at sea: Where we stand

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    Anglo-French alliance signs MoU for green corridor on Dover Strait

    Anglo-French alliance signs MoU for green corridor on Dover Strait

    Maersk signs MoU on methanol bunkering with Shanghai Port

    Maersk signs MoU on methanol bunkering with Shanghai Port

    CapLab decarbonization center established at Molo Giano

    CapLab decarbonization center established at Molo Giano

    EIA LNG

    EIA: Europe was the main destination for U.S. LNG exports in 2022

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Ports of Stockholm

    Ports of Stockholm to focus on the safety aspects of autonomous ships

    NAPA: Simulation software aids in predicting CII

    NAPA: Simulation software aids in predicting CII

    Canada, UK join forces for R&D digital project on decarbonization

    Canada, UK join forces for R&D digital project on decarbonization

    technology

    How a joined-up approach to technology drives people performance

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    australia sea mines

    AMSA imposes 90-day ban on Dutch vessel

    Singapore

    Eco Spark arrested in Singapore

    Liberia

    Liberia: key guidance for machinery space deficiencies

    orange county oil spill fines

    Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines to pay $950,000 in civil penalties

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

    Ports of Stockholm

    Ports of Stockholm to focus on the safety aspects of autonomous ships

    SAFETY4SEA, Europort once again join forces to present a set of 15 prestigious awards

    SAFETY4SEA, Europort once again join forces to present a set of 15 prestigious awards

    IMO wishes for further extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative

    IMO wishes for further extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative

  • Columns
    WSC: Minimising accidents is at the top of liner shipping’s agenda

    WSC: Minimising accidents is at the top of liner shipping’s agenda

    technology

    How a joined-up approach to technology drives people performance

    SCMA: Maritime arbitration is expected to rise in prominence

    SCMA: Maritime arbitration is expected to rise in prominence

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

IBIA: No meaningful resolution reached on contaminated fuels issue

by The Editorial Team
August 1, 2018
in Fuels
onboard samples

Above image is used for illustration purposes only

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

Following the very serious issues with contaminated fuel faced by ship owners in the US Gulf, ‘there has been no meaningful resolution’, as more than 100 vessel seem to have been affected, IBIA said in an official statement.

Presently, there is no consensus and not all stakeholders are willing to publicly share their findings and views. In a bid to create the necessary momentum to resolve this issue, IBIA considered the issues from the perspective of two questions:

  • “What has been conclusively resolved?”
  • “What is the current range of opinions among industry experts (generally perceived wisdom)?”.

It’s not clear that all of the reported cases share the same root cause and not all testing companies and experts are offering the same view as to the root cause. However, the issues associated with problem fuels have manifested in the form of sticking and seizures of fuel injection systems components (mainly pumps), blocked fuel filters, or both. In some cases these issues have been so severe as to cause a loss of main engine power.

A common view is that the fuels causing sticking of fuel pumps contain compounds that may have been introduced into the supply chain via inappropriate cutter stocks used in the production of bunkers at one or more refineries and terminals. However, this is purely speculation. In similar cases in the past, the source of the contaminant was never adequately identified, but in summary, the root cause was by and large a lack of control of the quality of cutter stock used in the marine pool.

There is also the possibility that the problems stem from cross-contamination due to a new product cargo being loaded into multi-purpose storage tanks that were not sufficiently emptied and cleared.

RelatedNews

Petrobras launches lower sulphur content fuel in Port of Santos

EIA: Records US crude oil exports in 2022

Another view is that the cases are not all related and that where only sludge formation has been reported, it could have been caused by incompatibility between a new product and existing residues remaining in tanks.

Where certainty is lacking this also affects liability, and it is likely that some questions may be raised about previous bunker fuels carried on vessels and the on-board fuel management procedures. Ship owners would be well advised to carefully document procedures and retain all relevant fuel samples.

Furthermore, IBIA underlines, testing to ISO 8217 characteristics will not necessarily show if the fuel is contaminated or not as it covers only the parameters with specified limits.

However, it seems likely that the problem fuels from the US Gulf contravene Clause 5 in ISO 8217 and Regulation 18.3 of MARPOL Annex VI which broadly state that fuels shall not contain any material in a concentration that adversely affects the performance of machinery. Proving this is not straightforward and requires non-standard, forensic levels of testing, typically using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and/or Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), which is time-consuming and processing the results can take weeks, especially when there is a spike in demand for such testing.

Another issue is that the methodology for the application of such forensic levels of testing varies from one laboratory to the next which means that the results cannot always be compared and there may be questions around the reliability of the results. The closest we are to a standard method is ASTM D7845 -17, which has been developed to quantify chemical species at low levels in marine fuel oils and cutter stocks by multidimensional GCMS, but it has limitations.

In response, IBIA will develop a proposal to form a Working Group with participation from all of the key parties involved in fuel oil testing in order to address the current issue and the potential solutions, including the development of a globally consistent method and protocol. Any organization interested to join the Working Group should contact [email protected] .

  • The speculation ranges from the suggestion of the deliberate introduction of contaminants into the supply chain, to negligence around quality control, to one-off cases of bad luck and poor procedures.
  • Inflexibility when it comes to terms and conditions is occasionally cited as an issue but any contract requires both parties’ mutual agreement.
  • Becoming involved in an extended supply chain with multiple participants reduces transparency and potentially confidence in the quality and source of the blend components. Building a relationship with your supplier to achieve confidence is of paramount importance.

In summary, although we cannot yet propose a generic solution we feel that the proposed IBIA Working Group has the potential to make a meaningful contribution when it comes to improving the situation.

Tags: fuel qualityIBIAISO 8217US

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

safety alert

USCG: Adherence to instructions for inflatable boats is crucial

March 24, 2023
MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

MPA Singapore to step down the remaining COVID-19 measures

March 24, 2023

SEAFiT Poll

What is the biggest obstacle for the social life onboard?

Stay tuned for the results!

MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • Events
  • Plus

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Contact

RISK4SEA Facts

Did you know that Class matters for 2020? Handysize with DNV had approximately 29% less on Detention Rate than the global average.

Learn more risk4sea.com

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Alerts
    • Accidents
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Opinions
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.