Bunkers and Bunkering April 2010
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A selection of articles previously Bunkers and published by Gard AS Bunkering 2 © Gard AS, March 2011 3 Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4 Hull and machinery incident - Consequences of using off-specification bunkers ............. 5 The importance of an efficient fuel oil treatment system .................................................... 6 U.S. Guidelines on MARPOL Annex VI ................................................................................. 8 Marpol Annex VI - New risks and challenges for owners and charterers ............................ 9 Marpol Annex VI - Solving the low sulphur issue ................................................................ 12 Warning - Fuel oil quality might be at stake ....................................................................... 15 Off-spec bunkers – Some practical cases ............................................................................ 16 Marpol Annex VI – Challenges in operating on low sulphur fuel ...................................... 18 Global lube oil and additive supply shortage ..................................................................... 18 Important changes to the new edition of the ISO 8217 Fuel Standard ............................ 19 Controlling bunker costs ....................................................................................................... 20 Liquid gold - Fuel oil and lubricating oil ............................................................................. 26 Bunker Quality ....................................................................................................................... 28 Some technical aspects of marine fuels testing .................................................................. 29 Effects of off-spec bunkers ................................................................................................... 32 Main Engine Damage Due to Ignition Delay ...................................................................... 34 The interplay of fuel and lubricating oil quality on the reliability of diesel engines ........ 35 Bunker spills ........................................................................................................................... 37 Charterer’s Liabilities and Bunkers ....................................................................................... 40 Stone cold bonkers – FD&D bunker disputes ..................................................................... 42 Air pollution - EU Parliament adopts marine fuel directive in second reading ................ 44 P&I incident – How not to do it – Bunker operations ......................................................... 44 New BIMCO bunker fuel sulphur content clause .............................................................. 45 SECA – North Sea and English Channel .............................................................................. 46 Disclaimer The information contained in this publication is compiled from material previously published by Gard AS and is provided for general information purposes only. Whilst we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information provided at the time of original publication, Gard AS can accept no responsibility in respect of any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever which may arise from reliance on information contained in this publication regardless of whether such information originates from Gard AS, its shareholders, correspondents or other contributors. © Gard AS, March 2011 4 Introduction This booklet contains a collection of 3. If the supplier takes other samples 9. Expert advice should be considered loss prevention materials relating to at the time of the delivery, try to and a reliable fuel testing services bunkers and bunkering, which has been establish how and when they were such as DNV Petroleum Services published by Gard over the years. taken. Issue a protest if you are not (DNVPS) or Lloyds Register (FOBAS) invited to witness the sampling. should be used to obtain advice on Problems occurring onboard the how to proceed in order to solve vessels and which arise from bunker 4. Use a fast, reliable testing service to the particular problem and to avoid related issues are diverse, and may analyse the samples. damage and mitigate any losses. involve disputes varying from engine/ equipment problems and vessel delay 5. Segregate new fuel from that 10. Contact the engine manufacturer as to off loading/re-bunkering. Main already held onboard. well as the fuel supplier for advice. and auxiliary engine related claims Further action will depend on which constitute approximately 31 per cent of 6. Avoid using new fuel until the parameter is off-specification and/or Gard’s total hull and machinery claims. analysis results have been what the particular problem is. The This figure should also be compared considered and it has been degree of quality deviation from the with statistics from the industry established that the fuel is suitable. specification must be considered. indicating that 80 percent of all engine breakdowns are related to problems 7. Maintain accurate daily records of 11. The charterer should be notified, with either the fuel or the lubricating oil. the contents of and consumption if the charterer purchased the fuel, from each fuel tank and other interested parties. As with most claims, bunker related claims can be avoided. The following If off-spec bunkers have been 12. The parties should inform their points may serve as a reminder and delivered and are found to be insurers. assist in ensuring a claim free voyage. unsuitable for use the bunkers should be off-loaded and replaced 1. Be selective when choosing a by new on-spec bunkers. If inferior supplier. Order fuel to desired ISO bunkers have to be used or have grade and describe the required already been used the following grade in the charterparty as well as should be done: in the requisition to supplier. 8. The vessel should immediately 2. Take samples at the time of delivery notify the shipowner if it is and obtain confirmation from the experiencing problems with suppliers that the samples are off-spec fuel. If the shipowner representative. Ensure that the purchased the fuel directly from samples taken are properly labelled. the supplier, he should notify the bunker supplier and forward a copy of the test results. © Gard AS, March 2011 5 Gard News 199 Hull and machinery incident August/October 2010 - Consequences of using off- specification bunkers Another example of the importance of reach the next port whilst maintaining sampling and testing bunkers. reduced speed. They also had to stop several times each day to replace fuel Bunkering valves, fuel pumps and to clean filters A medium-sized bulk carrier was and change exhaust valves dealing with delivered HFO (heavy fuel oil) bunkers turbocharger problems. The service whilst at anchorage at a port in and settling tanks were being drained the Far East. Since the vessel was almost continuously. scheduled to sail to Europe, and due to the prevailing fuel prices, charterers Repairs decided to bunker the vessel to almost The vessel finally arrived at the next full capacity. The operation itself took port of call several days late. The owner several hours and was completed decided to pump the off-specification View of damaged cylinder liner. without problems. However, the vessel bunker ashore and ordered new did not take its own fuel samples during bunkers. During the vessel’s stay in the bunkering, but instead received port, various repairs were carried out two sealed samples from the barge to the main engine. All pistons were operator. Both samples were signed by dismantled and overhauled and piston the vessel’s chief engineer; however, rings were replaced. Several of the neither of the samples was sent ashore piston top rings were broken whilst one for further analysis. was badly worn. One of the cylinder liners was cracked and had to be The fuel delivered was specified replaced. The main engine fuel system as 380cst -RMG 35, which was in and turbocharger had to be completely accordance with the applicable overhauled and the settling and service charterparty. tanks had to be emptied and cleaned. Problems Several fuel samples were taken during View of damaged cylinder liner with Soon after leaving port, the engineers the vessel’s stay in port and sent ashore piston fitted. started using the new bunkers. for testing, which revealed that the Shortly thereafter, they experienced fuel was off- specification. The whole abnormal sludge generation in the operation became very costly, time- purifier, which resulted in excessive consuming and caused delays to all water-sludge content in the settling involved. and service tanks. A large amount of water and sludge was drained from Lesson learned these tanks. The amount of water and It is strongly recommended that: sludge also resulted in problems with - the crew ensure there is sufficient the performance of the main engine, quantity of tested reserve HFO on in the form of fluctuations in exhaust board for consumption to cover the temperatures, as well as a rise in the time delay involved in sending newly- scavenge temperatures of the various bunkered representative samples for units. The main engine fuel pumps testing and receiving the laboratory test and fuel injection valves also sustained results. some damage. - the crew take sufficient representative samples