The Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) recorded 106 instances of off-spec bunker samples from international ports during the period between 15 to 31 (2H) December 2019.
Singapore, Beverwijk, Rotterdam and Antwerp ports saw the most number of off-spec cases over a variety of issues during 2H December.
Several off-spec cases at Singapore were related to pour point; pour point cases at Singapore are “not a big issue” due to local weather conditions, a source earlier told Manifold Times.
The off-spec cases occurred when a result was outside the 95% confidence limit of either ISO 8217 6th edition test parameter or a value given by the BDN or sample label.
The top bunker ports with reported off-spec bunker fuel cases in 2H December are as follows:
| Port | Characteristic | ISO 8217 Limit or Advised Value | Final Result | Unit |
| Antwerp | Density at 15ºC | 1.0039** | 1.0039 | kg/l |
| Antwerp | Flash point | 60.0*** | 59.0 | ºC |
| Antwerp | Flash point | 60.0*** | 57.5 | ºC |
| Antwerp | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.21 | % Mass |
| Antwerp | Viscosity at 50ºC | 483.7** | 501.6 | cSt |
| Beverwijk | Aluminum + Silicon | 60* | 193 | mg/kg |
| Beverwijk | Ash | 0.100* | 0.110 | % Mass |
| Beverwijk | CCAl | 870* | 876 | Index |
| Beverwijk | Density at 15ºC | 0.9502** | 1.0133 | kg/l |
| Beverwijk | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.18 | % Mass |
| Rotterdam | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.2 | % Mass |
| Rotterdam | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.52 | % Mass |
| Rotterdam | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.46 | % Mass |
| Rotterdam | Viscosity at 40ºC | 5.50** | 6.0 | cSt |
| Rotterdam | Viscosity at 50ºC | 676.4** | 750.5 | cSt |
| Rotterdam | Water | 0.50* | 1.65 | % Volume |
| Singapore | Flash point | 60.0*** | 59.0 | ºC |
| Singapore | MCR 10% bottom | 0.30* | 2.92 | % Mass |
| Singapore | MCR 10% bottom | 0.30* | 4.51 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 9 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 6 | oC |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 12 | oC |
| Singapore | Sulphur | 0.08** | 0.31 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Sulphur | 0.09** | 0.12 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.35 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.52 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.16 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.51 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.41 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Total Sediment Potential | 0.10* | 0.26 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Viscosity at 50ºC | 363.1** | 573.8 | cSt |
*ISO 8217 6th edition limit
**Advised value from BDN or sample label
***Due to the statutory significance of Flash Point the 95% confidence limit is not applied
Earlier FOBAS reports on off-spec fuels and bunker alerts in 2019 have been organised in chronological order below:
Related: FOBAS Alert: Off Specification Sediment VLSFO from Singapore port
Related: FOBAS: Cat fines and Total Sediment Potential off specs at Singapore port
Related: FOBAS Alert: Off spec high sediment bunker fuels from Antwerp port
Related: FOBAS: 10% up in bunker international off-spec cases during 2H October
Related: FOBAS: Off-spec bunker samples up 40% at global ports in 1H October
Related: FOBAS: Rise in off-spec bunker samples at Malaysia ports during 1H September
Related: FOBAS: International bunker off-spec samples down 32% in 1H August
Related: FOBAS: Global off-spec bunker samples 63% up in 2H July
Related: FOBAS: International off-spec bunker cases down 6% in 1H July
Related: FOBAS: Update on contaminated fuels from St Petersburg, Russia
Related: FOBAS: High Aluminium + Silicon levels in fuels from Chennai
Related: FOBAS: 63 off-spec bunker cases identified in 2H June 2019
Related: FOBAS: International off-spec bunker cases up 9% in 1H June 2019
Related: FOBAS: Surge in bunker off-spec cases at Antwerp port during 2H May
Related: FOBAS: 16% decrease in off-specs of bunker samples in 1H May
Related: FOBAS: 69 cases of off-spec bunker cases identified in 2H April
Related: FOBAS: High Acid number and possible fuel contamination at Fujairah
Related: FOBAS: 72% increase in off-spec marine fuel cases in 2H March
Related: FOBAS: Off-spec marine fuel cases down 16% in 1H March
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