Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) on Thursday (13 August) published a bulletin alerting the maritime industry to RMG 380 grade bunker fuel that did not adhere to ISO 8217 specifications in Singapore, and offers some guidelines on how to navigate the situation for anyone planning to bunker at the port:
In the last week, FOBAS has tested a number of samples from Singapore, which were ordered as ISO-F-RMG380 grades, that exceeded the ISO 8217 specification limit of 0.10%m/m for TSP. The TSP values tested were in the range 0.17 % m/m – 0.38 % m/m.
Advised bunker details from respective Bunker Delivery Notes (BDN) as well as FOBAS quality analysis indicate that half of these samples appear to originate from same batch of fuel delivered over a period of time.
Fuels with high sediments can result in excessive sludge deposition in tanks and throughout the handling and treatment/fuel injection systems. Furthermore the attempted use of such fuels can result in highly compromised combustion leading to engine and turbocharger damage.
In view of the above, if your ships are planning to bunker in these ports, we recommend that suppliers are advised of your concerns regarding the stability of the fuel in the area, and that they provide you with additional reassurance that they will adhere to the ISO 8217 requirements for the grade ordered.
Additional attention should be given to the collection of bunker samples. It should be ensured that all parties have witnessed the sampling process and have signed witness forms accordingly, and that the supporting documentation includes records of all the samples considered representative of the fuel as loaded.
Published: 14 August, 2020
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