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
A total of 97 off-spec bunker fuel cases have been identified between 15 and 31 March, 2018.
Provides advice on avoiding fuel contamination issues for vessels bunkering at Houston or Panama.
FOBAS currently investigating a number of samples bunkered in Singapore, it said in a Monday notice.
Challenging to determine the precise quantity of any unusual compounds due to no common expert guidance.
IUMI believes that the current system of leaving the testing or damage to the end user is outdated.
Sales at Atlantic entrance marginally down 2.5% on year, show Panama Maritime Authority data.
Claiming USD 108,887.87 for the supply and delivery of 310.00 mt of low sulphur marine gas oil at the Port of Jeddah on or about 23 February 2020.
A sanitisation expert offers Manifold Times a summary of the processes involved in disinfecting a ship together with the equipment and products used in the operation.
‘As the saying goes without people buying things, manufacturing will slow, trade will also slow and shipping movements slows down. It’s a whole chain of reaction,’ says Simon Neo.
Laboratory looking to collaborate with Singapore bunker surveyors to roll out COVID 19 testing service, which has been successfully adopted by land-based industries, to the maritime sector.
Sinfeng Marine Services filed an application to the Court of Appeal to withhold information from the liquidators on October 2019; the appeal was dismissed a month later.
‘We have already settled [the issue] with Global Energy Trading and the suit has been withdrawn/discontinued,’ a source at Bunker House Petroleum told Manifold Times.
