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Inchcape Shipping Services: Credibility a key factor bunker quantity/quality surveys

‘It is important for our clients to know that our BQS surveyors are impartial and trustworthy so that they can ascertain reliable information on fuel delivery,’ says spokesman.
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Inchcape Shipping Services on Tuesday (28 September) said a Bunker Quantity Survey (BQS) is necessary for shipowners to verify that the amount of fuel delivered is correct, or provide information in the event of a dispute, and to take fuel samples for laboratory analysis.

“Fuel is liquid gold for shipowners,” according to Atul Shukla of Inchcape Shipping Services.

“But reliable supply of bunker fuel with the right quality, volume and price remains a risky business and a small discrepancy can prove extremely costly, especially when running a large fleet. 

“This is especially important as the raised environmental focus in the shipping industry puts the onus on increased fuel efficiency to cut emissions, which also represents a cost saving for owners.”

Survey credibility

Fuel samples taken from vessels must be compliant with MARPOL’s International Convention for the Prevention of Air Pollution from ships and therefore fuel quality has become a priority for owners as they pursue more sustainable solutions, explains Shukla, Inchcape’s area manager for Marine Survey and Inspection in the Middle East and Africa.

“It is important for our clients to know that our BQS surveyors are impartial and trustworthy so that they can ascertain reliable information on fuel delivery in order to make well-informed commercial decisions on bunker supply, making this a big value differentiator,” he says.

Shukla believes credibility is a key factor as Inchcape has an experienced team of in-house surveyors who are not affiliated to bunker suppliers and are certified by the International Bunker Industry Association, which means they can provide an independent fuel assessment.

“Clients can rest assured that our surveys are carried out according to standard market procedures and meet the highest international standards on QHSSE, ethics and compliance, with uniform reporting standards regardless of location,” he adds.

Single point of contact

Inchcape has expanded its team of BQS surveyors working out of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and is now rolling out a similar service at other UAE locations including off Ras Al Khaimah and Jebel Ali.

Shukla says clients have a global single point of contact and can benefit from “significant cost savings” through being able to access BQS and the wider range of Maritime Survey and Inspection (MSI) services from Inchcape as their one-stop supplier.

Provision of these services is supported by an in-house team of master mariners, chief engineers, claims adjusters, mechanical engineers and naval architects, backed by Inchcape’s global network of expertise spanning 60 countries.

Credibility is also the keyword when it comes to marine warranty surveys that include reviewing the condition of vessel equipment and approval of marine operations for insurance purposes, with Inchcape already well established as the agents for Lloyd’s of London in the Middle East for several decades.

 

Photo credit: Inchcape Shipping Services
Published: 28 September, 2021

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Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

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July 21, 2026

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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July 21, 2026

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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July 21, 2026

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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