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FOBAS: Singapore tops list of biweekly off-spec cases

04 Apr 2018

The Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) recorded 97 off-spec cases between 15 to 31 March in accordance to ISO 8217:2017 standards.

The most cases were found at the ports of Singapore (20), Rotterdam (4), Amsterdam (3), Mersin (3) and Santos (3).

The majority of cases at Singapore were related to pour point (12) as Singapore does not supply zero degrees pour point for bunkers.

However, two off-spec cases concerning Aluminium + Silicon, also known as cat fines, are more serious and of concern, believes a local source.

“A cat fine value of over 100 is considered very very high according to 8217:2017 which states the limit at 60; even looking back at 8217:2005 the maximum for cat fine is 80, so a value of 100 plus is way over,” he says.

“Shipowners should be very careful how they use this stem of bunker fuel. If it were me, I will most likely debunker as such high cat fines will cause damage to machinery and the main engine.

“However, the two isolated cases of off-spec cat fines in Singapore does not reflect the whole supply chain and overall situation in Singapore.”

The top off-spec bunker ports for the period between 15 to 31 March 2018 are as follows:
 

Port Characteristic ISO 8217 Limit
or Advised Value
Final result Unit
         
Singapore Aluminium + Silicon 60* 103 mg/kg
Singapore Aluminium + Silicon 60* 100 mg/kg
Singapore Density at 15oC 0.9900** 0.9933 kg/l
Singapore Density at 15oC 0.9908** 0.9930 kg/l
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* 9 oC
Singapore Pour point 0* 6 oC
Singapore Pour point 0* 9 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 Vanadium 150* 175 mg/kg
Singapore Water 0.50* 0.70 % Volume
Singapore Water 0.50* 0.80 % Volume
Singapore Water 0.50* 0.70 % Volume
         
Rotterdam Sulphur 0.09** 0.12 % Mass
Rotterdam Viscosity at 40oC 5.99** 6.0 cSt
Rotterdam Viscosity at 50oC 698.0** 731.6 cSt
Rotterdam Viscosity at 50oC 698.8** 755.7 cSt
         
Amsterdam Viscosity at 50oC 377.0** 411.1 cSt
Amsterdam Viscosity at 50oC 377.0** 411.5 cSt
Amsterdam Viscosity at 50oC 377.0** 406.6 cSt
         
Mersin Viscosity at 50oC 377.9** 403.8 cSt
Mersin Viscosity at 50oC 377.9** 399.00 cSt
Mersin Viscosity at 50oC 370.7** 404.8 cSt

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 4 April, 2018

 

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