Tag: fuel quality

The Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) released an alert on 14 March, in which it warned all shipowners and operators regarding low flash point residual fuels at Singapore. The tested flash points were below the 60°C SOLAS minimum limit, with the results varying between 55 and 58 °C.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is considered as an alternative fuel for shipping and a technically feasible option for compliance with the MARPOL annex VI revised requirements of 2020. Nowadays more than 200 LNG powered carriers operate worldwide, while there are also several LNG carriers with dual mode engines which can operate with both fuel oil and LNG.

Singapore is one of the top bunkering ports in the world, providing high quality services which meet the requirements of the large number of vessels it serves daily; however, there are some challenging issues that operators should be aware of when it comes to bunkering, derived from frequent incidents which occurred in the past.

With new, stricter regulations coming into force regarding fuels’ sulphur content, the quality of bunkers delivered to ships is of high importance; they need to meet the agreed purchase specifications and applicable global and local regulations. Nevertheless, there are cases in which ‘bad bunkers’ are delivered, which may lead to damages to ship engines, disputes between owners and charterers, even detentions and fines.

A General cargo ship "M" was involved in cargo operations in an Indonesian port. Charterers had arranged the vessel to receive bunkers by a local bunker barge. The barge moored alongside of the vessel for supplying the agreed amount of 155M/T of fuel oil (180cst) into No.1 & 2 F.O. tanks respectively.

Blue Fin Tankers,  part of the Heidmar tanker pool, claims the marine fuel supplier delivered bunkers that were off-spec and not suitable to use. Mainly,  Blue Fin ordered 800 - 1,000 metric tonnes of IFO 180 cSt RMG 180 at $508 per ton to be delivered to the M/V Ridgebury Alina L  at the Mauritian port. The vessel was under charter to Resource Marine Pte Ltd. for a voyage from Freeport, Bahamas to Singapore.

A fleet of huge, new built oil tankers are scheduled to ship diesel out of East Asia. Five very big crude carriers, that ship approximately 2 million barrels of oil each, are for the time being placed in the seas of China's eastern and southern coasts. Two additional new-builds are to be added in the fleet. If all of the vessels were fully loaded, they would have what is currently held in Europe's key trading hub of the Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp ports.

London-based Greek shipowners have urged the IMO to bring together oil companies, marine equipment makers and classification societies to guarantee fuels created to comply with 2020 environmental rules do not damage engines and cause accidents. 

On January 9, FOBAS issued an alert informing all shipowners and operators of off spec marine fuel oil at Singapore that according to its testings, the sediment of bunker fuel oil is above the limit as specified in ISO 8217 for an RMG380. Total Sediment Potential results were unobtainable, with samples failing to filter within the 25 minutes given for the test method.

“Bad Bunkers” have become a buzzword in shipping industry; especially after multiple vessels reporting problems with contaminated fuels in Houston, Singapore and Panama during 2018. Phenolic compounds were present in every sample which damaged the ships’ engines.