Connect with us

Business

Shell MGO bunker heist: Intertek, Inspectorate cargo surveyors plead guilty, jailed between four to eight months

Anand S/O Omprekas, Noruliman Bin Bakti, and Muhammad Khairul Asri Bin Mohamad Hanafiah were tasked to verify the quantity of cargo supplied to vessels by Shell Eastern Petroleum Private Limited.

Admin

Published

on

Surveyor checking level

The State Courts of the Republic of Singapore on Thursday (26 May) issued jail sentences ranging between four to eight months to a total three cargo surveyors from Intertek Testing Services Pte Ltd (Intertek) and Inspectorate Singapore Pte Ltd (Inspectorate) due to their involvement in the Shell MGO bunker heist.

Anand S/O Omprekas and Noruliman Bin Bakti were both surveyors employed by Intertek while Muhammad Khairul Asri Bin Mohamad Hanafiah worked for Inspectorate when the offences involving corruption were commited, according to court documents obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.

The group were tasked to verify the quantity of cargo supplied to vessels in Singapore by suppliers such as Shell Eastern Petroleum Private Limited (Shell).

They would board the vessels to check on the quantity of the cargo loaded into the nominated and non-nominated tanks of the vessels, before and after the loading of the cargo to the vessels was completed.

After conducting the inspections, the surveyors must prepare ullage reports which stated accurately the amount of cargo loaded onto the vessels. These ullage reports would be submitted to their respective survey firms and Shell.

Anand S/O Omprekas – Six months imprisonment and penalty of SGD 20,000 (effective 26 May 2022)

Anand was found to have accepted gratification of a total SGD 10,000 from Juandi bin Pungot and Muzaffar Ali Khan bin Muhamad Akram over five occasions in 2014 while under the employment of Intertek.

Under Juandi and Muzaffar’s instructions, Anand did not accurately report the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which Intertek was engaged to inspect.

In 2016, when Anand was a surveyor of CCIC Singapore Pte Ltd (CCIC), he continued to receive money from Muzaffar in exchange for falsifying the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which CCIC was engaged to inspect while keeping quiet about the misappropriation of gasoil taking place at Shell Pulau Bukom.

As a result of Anand’s assistance in concealing the misappropriation of gasoil, two incidents of misappropriation of Shell gasoil (worth USD 668,152.16) went undetected by Shell in 2016.

Noruliman Bin Bakti – Eight months imprisonment and penalty of USD 25,000 (effective 4 July 2022)

Noruliman accepted total gratification of USD 15,000 from an Intertek colleague over three occasions between 2014 and 2015 for not accurately reporting the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which Intertek was engaged to inspect.

In 2016, when Noruliman became a surveyor of CCIC, he continued his arrangement with Muzaffar to receive money from him to inaccurately report the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which CCIC was engaged to inspect while keeping quiet about the misappropriation of gasoil taking place at Shell Pulau Bukom.

As a result of his assistance in concealing the activity, one incident of misappropriation of Shell gasoil (worth USD 239,958.60) went undetected by Shell in 2016.

Noruliman was also found to be working with Anand in two incidents of misappropriation of Shell gasoil (mentioned above).

Muhammad Khairul Asri Bin Mohamad Hanafiah – Four months imprisonment and penalty of USD 6,000 (effective 27 June 2022)

Khairul was found to have accepted total gratification of USD 6,000 from Juandi and Muzaffar over two occasions between 2016 and 2017 for inaccurately reporting the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which Inspectorate was engaged to inspect.

As a result of Khairul’s assistance in concealing the misappropriation of gasoil, two incidents of misappropriation of Shell gasoil (worth USD 1,408,881.57) went undetected by Shell in 2016 and 2017.

Manifold Times in April reported a group of 12 surveyors being charged in Court for corruption offences in connection to the conspiracy to misappropriate oil from the Shell Pulau Bukom site. Altogether, the 12 individuals allegedly accepted bribes totalling at least USD 213,000 between 2014 to 2017.

Note: Court proceedings against other allegedly involved parties, including former employees of Shell Pulau Bukom, are ongoing. A list of earlier developments recorded by Manifold Times are as follows:

Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician receives 184-month prison sentence over illicit involvement
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Syndicate member’s nephew jailed over concealment of safe containing valuables
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: 12 former surveyors from Intertek, Inspectorate, CCIC, SGS charged for corruption
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Former Shore Loading Officer receives 29-year jail sentence over total 85 charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician received minimum SGD 735,000 in benefits, faces 43 charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee admits leading role in illicit operation
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Sentek ex-Director faces 40 fresh charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Two former Shell employees jailed over theft
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: High Court affirms ‘Prime South’ forfeiture to Singapore State
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Three ex-Shell employees charged with bribing surveyors
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Second ex-Shell employee pleads guilty to nine charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: First ex-Shell employee to plead guilty over involvement
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm released from police custody
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Oil tanker ‘Prime South’ forfeited by State Courts of Singapore
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm face charge at State Courts
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Third offender pleads guilty for gas oil theft
RelatedCaptain of “Prime South” jailed in Shell Pulau Bukom gas oil theft
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Ex-Chief Officer of Prime South jailed
RelatedSingapore: Shell MGO bunker heist amount balloons to USD$142 million
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist update: Fresh charges issued at Singapore court
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: More charges issued at court
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Breakdown of stolen oil cargoes
RelatedIntertek Singapore employee among Shell oil heist suspects

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 30 May, 2022

Continue Reading

Winding up

Singapore: High Court to hear Norvic Shipping Asia winding up application on 31 July

Application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to Government Gazette notice.

Admin

Published

on

By

RESIZED singapore high court

An application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to a Tuesday (21 July) notice on the Government Gazette.

It noted the winding up application is directed to be heard before the Judge sitting in the General Division of the High Court at 10am on 31 July.

Any creditor or contributory of the company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the winding up application may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose.

A copy of the winding up application will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the company requiring the copy of the winding up application by the solicitors of the applicant’s, Oon & Bazul LLC, on payment of the regulated charge for the same.

The Applicant’s address is Hiridostraat 5, Gebouw Prismatrium, 1101CW Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Applicant’s solicitors are Oon & Bazul LLC of 103 Penang Rd, #04-04/05/06 Singapore 238467. 

Queries on the winding up application may be directed to the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 22 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Methanol

World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to “Arctic Tern” via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel “M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan”.

Admin

Published

on

By

World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Marine fuel provider World Fuel on Tuesday (21 July) said it successfully completed the first green methanol bunkering of M/V Arctic Tern, with EUKOR Car Carriers and SIPG Energy at the Port of Shanghai. 

Arctic Tern is the first vessel in the new Shaper Class series of car carriers. 

The operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to Arctic Tern via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan, the largest vessel of its kind in operation. 

The bunkering operation was carried out at Haitong Terminal, Waigaoqiao Port Area, Shanghai Port, with cargo handling operations conducted simultaneously during bunkering.

This marks EUKOR Car Carriers’ first green methanol operation and the first time Arctic Tern has bunkered methanol since its delivery on 9 July. The operation marked the first bunkering at Shanghai Port of green methanol produced locally in Shanghai for an international PCTC operator. 

It also demonstrated the city’s integrated green methanol value chain, spanning local production, storage and bunkering, and established a replicable “Shanghai Model” for green methanol supply.

World Fuel arranged the supply and delivery of the fuel on behalf of EUKOR Car Carriers, working with SIPG Energy as the physical supplier at the Port of Shanghai.

The green methanol supplied was produced from municipal solid waste, ISCC-EU certified, and had a carbon intensity value below 25 gCO₂e/MJ.

Arctic Tern is the first of fourteen Shaper Class vessels ordered by Wallenius Wilhelmsen. With a capacity of 9,300 car equivalent units and methanol dual-fuel capability, the vessel will be operated by EUKOR Car Carriers, jointly owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Hyundai Motor Group. Following her first green methanol bunkering, Arctic Tern will continue her maiden voyage from Asia to Europe.

Xavier Leroi, COO Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen and CEO of EUKOR Car Carriers, said: “Completing Arctic Tern’s first green methanol bunkering shortly after delivery is a significant milestone towards our decarbonisation ambition for both EUKOR Car Carriers and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. It demonstrates how investments in next-generation vessel technology and fuel flexibility are being translated into real-world operations. 

“This achievement reflects the strong collaboration between all parties involved. Together, we have shown how partnerships across the maritime value chain can help make lower-emission fuels available and operationally viable at scale.”

Mark Tamsitt, SVP Global Marine Sales at World Fuel, said, “The first bunkering event with a new fuel is a significant moment for any shipowner, and our role is to make it as seamless as possible. By connecting EUKOR Car Carriers with SIPG Energy’s proven green methanol capability at the Port of Shanghai, we were able to deliver on reliable supply, fuel quality, and safe processes. As more of our customers bring methanol dual-fuel tonnage into service, we are committed to being the partner that makes these kinds of operations routine.”

Mr. Zhang Da, General Manager of SIPG Energy, said, “Welcoming Arctic Tern to the Port of Shanghai for her first green methanol bunkering demonstrates the strength and maturity of our supply capability. Building on our well-established methanol ship-to-ship bunkering services for container vessels, we have already extended such services to pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs). This bunkering sets a new record for the largest single SIMOPs green methanol bunkering for PCTCs in China, marking another step in building Shanghai’s position as a global green energy hub for international shipping.”

This operation follows Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s announcement on 9 July that Arctic Tern would complete her first methanol bunkering shortly after delivery. The vessel entered service on routes between Asia and Europe immediately following handover from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing.

 

Photo credit: World Fuel
Published: 22 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Ammonia

HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

HPA says the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.

Admin

Published

on

By

HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and integrated energy company MB Energy on Tuesday (21 July) said they have completed a comprehensive risk analysis and developed a dedicated safety concept for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.

MB Energy said the analysis lays the groundwork for the safe introduction of ammonia as a future marine fuel.

“With our planned ammonia import terminal in Hamburg-Blumensand, MB Energy intends to provide the reliable land side supply infrastructure needed to support this transition across northern German ports,” it said in a social media post. 

Mabanaft Group was renamed to MB Energy last year and merged over 50 existing brands under one identity. 

Separately, HPA said the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.

“The focus is in particular on container ships, cruise ships as well as RoRo and ConRo (Container/RoRo) ships,” it said. 

“We expect ammonia to establish itself as an alternative marine marine fuel in the coming years. With our preparatory work, we are already creating the conditions to welcome the first ammonia-powered ships in Hamburg and to bunker them safely.:

HPA added that the import terminal for ammonia planned by MB Energy from 2029 will make a decisive contribution to ensuring the reliable availability of ammonia as a bunker fuel in northern German ports in the long term. 

“The use of an ammonia bunker barge is considered a possible addition to the landside infrastructure to enable ship bunkering in the port and beyond in the future,” it said.

Related: Mabanaft Group renames as MB Energy, merging over 50 brands under one identity

 

Photo credit: Hamburg Port Authority
Published: 22 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Trending