A Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) report recorded similar types of off-spec bunker cases at the ports of Singapore and Fujairah on month between 15 to 28 February 2018.
In total, it identified 62 instances where marine fuel specifications were outside the 95% confidence limit of either ISO 8217 (6th edition) test parameter, or a value given by the bunker delivery note (BDN), or sample label.
At Singapore port, the report noted 12 cases of off-spec bunkers during the two-week period; 50% of the cases were related to pour point for MGO as per ISO 8217:2017 standards.
Off-spec issues regarding non-compliant sulphur content in marine fuel continue to plague Fujairah port; all three cases of off-spec bunkers concerned fuel oil exiting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulated 3.50% sulphur content.
A source earlier told Manifold Times that off-spec issues concerning pour point for MGO “is not really a serious matter” within the Singapore market due to local weather, while sulphur off-spec issues at Fujairah “raise the question whether the port will be ready or not coming 2020”.
Top off-spec bunker ports for the period from 15 to 28 February 2018 are as follows:
| Port | Characteristic | ISO 8217 Limit or Advised Value | Final result | Unit |
| Singapore | Density at 15oC | 0.9909** | 0.9923 | kg/l |
| Singapore | Density at 15oC | 0.9908** | 1.0008 | kg/l |
| Singapore | MCR 10% bottom | 0.30* | 4.43 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Pour point | 0* | 9 | 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* | 9 | oC |
| Singapore | Sulphur | 0.05** | 0.30 | % Mass |
| Singapore | Viscosity at 50oC | 380.0** | 464.8 | cSt |
| Singapore | Viscosity at 50oC | 376.1** | 406.9 | cSt |
| Batu Ampar | Pour point | 0* | 9 | oC |
| Batu Ampar | Pour point | 0* | 9 | oC |
| Batu Ampar | Water | Trace* | 1.30 | % Volume |
| Fujairah | Sulphur | 3.48** | 3.79 | % Mass |
| Fujairah | Sulphur | 3.48** | 3.72 | % Mass |
| Fujairah | Sulphur | 3.48** | 3.73 | % Mass |
| Houston | Ash | 0.100* | 0.172 | % Mass | |||
| Houston | ULO | Detected | Detected | ||||
| Houston | Water | 0.50* | 1.10 | % Volume | |||
| St Petersburg | Viscosity at 50oC | 371.8** | 397.8 | cSt |
| St Petersburg | Viscosity at 50oC | 344.8** | 482.8 | cSt |
| St. Petersburg | Viscosity at 50oC | 325.0** | 441.0 | cSt |
*ISO 8217 6th edition limit
**Advised value from BDN or sample label.
Related: Singapore MGO pour point off-spec cases ‘not big issue’
Published: 5 March, 2018
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