# Bad bunker fuel **URL:** \ **Category:** Maritime News\ **Created:** [April 2, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730 "2022-04-02T12:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/1 "2022-04-02T12:12:43Z")
> **[Bad Bunkers: Ships Suffer 'Blackouts' Linked to...](https://gcaptain.com/bad-bunkers-ships-suffer-blackouts-linked-to-singapore-fuel-suppliers/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03-d1de8311be-169863069&mc_cid=d1de8311be&mc_eid=4674ba0fbe)** > > SINGAPORE, April 1 (Reuters) – A major bunker fuel contamination has affected at least 14 shipping vessels that received high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) from Singapore, fuel and oil testing firm Veritas Petroleum Services... > [@](#): > > VPS said the delivered HSFO actually met the ISO 8217 specifications upon each delivery, but a deeper screening method identified the fuel contaminants. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/2 "2022-04-07T20:53:07Z")
[https://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/Results/mpa-launches-probe-on-alleged-supply-of-contaminated-fuel-at-singapore-port](https://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/Results/mpa-launches-probe-on-alleged-supply-of-contaminated-fuel-at-singapore-port) Bunker fuel supplied in Singapore are largely imported from refiners all over the world as local refineries are not able to supply more than a small part of the amount of bunker fuel sold in Singapore. > [@](#): > > Maritime insurer Gard said that subsequent to the VPS alert, it also contacted other industry organisations to ascertain if they have had similar experiences, and found that a number of testing laboratories have published client alerts on this issue that corroborate the VPS findings. > However, Gard said: “These findings do not reflect the overall quality of bunker supplied in Singapore.” > Gard said it has recommended additional testing of marine fuel to its clients similar to the alerts issued amid a spate of contaminated bunker originating in the United States port of Houston in 2018 and 2019. ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 10:22am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/3 "2022-04-08T10:22:31Z")
Fracking chemicals in the oil which is not tested for? ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/4 "2022-04-11T20:33:23Z")
Don’t know if this is in response to the above, but very timely introduction: > **[GLOBAL: SGS launches new global bunker fuel testing programme](https://www.bunkerspot.com/global/55930-global-sgs-launches-new-global-bunker-fuel-testing-programme)** > > Bunkerspot provides news, in-depth analysis, expert comment and price indications for the global marine fuels industry ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:29am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/5 "2022-04-12T10:29:16Z")
> **[$120m worth of HSFO in Singapore found to be contaminated - Splash247](https://splash247.com/120m-worth-of-hsfo-in-singapore-found-to-be-contaminated/)** > > Singapore’s contaminated fuel outbreak is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars and keep lawyers busy for years to come. Fuel tester VPS has confirmed a total of 60 high sulphur fuel oil-consuming (HSFO) ships have been hit, with the fuel found... PS\> It doesn’t say where the HSFO originated from. It has been known that mixing it in Bunker Fuel has been used as a handy way to dispose of hazardous waste in some instances. Chlorinated hydrocarbons are widely used in many industries and in many types of pesticides etc. Incl. in Fracking Fluid?? > [@powerabout](#): > > Fracking chemicals in the oil which is not tested for? ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 11:26am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/6 "2022-04-12T11:26:54Z")
All sounds similar to the fuel that sent a few vessels dark a few years ago. One large container ship leaving Port Klang, blacked out. Thats was fracking chemical in the oil that were not then tested for. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/7 "2022-04-14T13:35:43Z")
[https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/media-centre/news-releases/detail/1880c0ba-7459-49d0-bf73-a4106a166d52](https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/media-centre/news-releases/detail/1880c0ba-7459-49d0-bf73-a4106a166d52) > [@](#): > > Preliminary investigations conducted by MPA revealed that the affected fuel – a blended product, was supplied by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd (Glencore). Glencore informed MPA that on receiving reports of its fuel being contaminated, Glencore proceeded to test the fuels supplied by its sources used in its blended product, and discovered that one of them that was sourced from overseas had contained about 15000 ppm of COC. By the time of testing, Glencore had already sold part of the affected fuel to PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd (PetroChina), which in turn, had supplied to ships in the Port of Singapore It state this was a “blended product”, but it doesn’t say where it was “blended” and what was the origin of the the fuels that went into the “blend”. PS\> PetroChina is a major bunker suppliers in Singapore; [https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/petrochina-international-tops-singapores-list-of-2021-marine-fuel-suppliers](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/petrochina-international-tops-singapores-list-of-2021-marine-fuel-suppliers) They gets their supply from several sources, Glencore being one of them. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/8 "2022-04-14T16:46:17Z")
> **[Singapore’s contaminated bunkers crisis grows - Splash247](https://splash247.com/singapores-contaminated-bunkers-crisis-grows/)** > > Singapore’s bunkering crisis is turning into one of the most severe off-spec incidents in decades, likely leading to claims worth tens of millions of dollars. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has identified around 200 ships that... It could be spreading far and wide; > [@](#): > > Sources in the US warn that a similar contaminated fuel issue has been detected in Houston. ---
**Author:** ![Gruntledemployee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gruntledemployee](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Gruntledemployee)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2022, 10:41am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/9 "2022-04-15T10:41:57Z")
Chlorinated organics and many toxins dangerous to human health are not part of standard testing for ship fuel oils. Some of these compounds have been associated with wear and combustability issues, as well as incompatibility with fuel additives used in the blending process to adjust viscosity, flash and pour point. Feedstock for HFO is widely varied. The API lists over 30 feedstock fuel oils by grade that are used as the base componant. At feedstock level for HFO, hydrocarbon content is widely varied, mostly being long-chain hydrocarbons, (20-50 carbon atoms long) but short chain hydrocarbons (7-20 C atoms) can be used too… the takeaway here is that at feedstock level, flash and pour points are the biggest concern chemically in both feedstocks AND addatives as the quality of the HFO is brought to final quality based on using the absolute minimum addition of the more expensive cutting stock (MGO or similar) to produce the required sulfur, viscosity, flash and pour points while diluting down levels of metals (which are only partially standardized in terms of testing). ``` It is common for suppliers to use low-quality feedstocks based on price and availability, and the results are quite varied. I can definitely see them being used to dispose of unwanted componants, as reprocessed (read:trash) oils are often blended into feedstocks. HAFO oils, heavy on aromatics, have a bad habit of plasticising (polymerizing), turning semi-solid because of low pour points, and there is NO standard for mixing feedstock and cutting stock to ensure consistent blending. This is a critical point of failure! ``` It is normal for suppliers to blend partially blended HFO with cutting stock in the tanks of bunker vessels just prior to sale, without adequate mixing. As a result, the cutting stock will not fully blend with the feedstock. This results in non-representative testing results- YMMV. Imagine that a ship orders 2000 tons of VLSFO with sulfur under 0.5%. The supplier _may_ purchase VLSFO from a refiner, or may only have a much cheaper high viscosity high sulfur fuel oil on hand like RMK-500, and cut it with a light oil like MGO or maybe they have some Jet fuel that can’t pass quality inspection because it was improperly stored or was slightly contaminated but is ‘good enough’ to be sold as MGO or cutting stock). Maybe it has COC’s in it, like enormously toxic carbon tetrachloride (parts cleaner). Maybe the refiner used HAFO oil as a feedstock, high in aromatics, including short chain hydrocarbons like ketone peroxides that will act like a catalyst and cause only a particular carbon molecule chain that makes up 1% of the feedstock to partially polymerize, and now you have solid lumps of feedstock hydrocarbons that settle in the bottom half of the tank; but hey, they also bound up some of the sulfur too, and the testing agency only pulled samples from close to the surface of the tank… and the sulfur is compliant there, but the bunker tanker only pumped out part of each tank to give to a ship, and the suction point on a bunker tank is the lowest point in a tank. Where all the solid uncombustable lumps and sulfur is. So now the end user has off-spec fuel that was on-spec when tested, and the 3rd AE now has fuel centrifuges with basically Bakelite that has to be chipped out to be removed. That’s happening today, and not just in Singapore and Houston, and every case isn’t extreme; there are many subacute issues that can be dealt with before a crisis happens. Point being, feedstock componants and final quality are still too variable to ensure consistant quality ship fuels, and contamination issues will continue until a standardized quality control program and more stringent standards AND representative testing conyrols are established. ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/10 "2022-04-15T18:20:49Z")
> [@ombugge](#): > > They gets their supply from several sources, Glencore being one of them Glencore? What could go wrong? 😂 ---
**Author:** ![yacht\_sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed655f/32.png) [@yacht\_sailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/yacht_sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/11 "2022-04-15T18:58:34Z")
Is that the fuel that comes with one stripper per 500 tons? ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 11:26am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/12 "2022-05-06T11:26:04Z")
MPA has completed their investigation of the case: > **[Singapore lays the blame for this year’s big fuel contamination scandal with...](https://splash247.com/singapore-lays-the-blame-for-this-years-big-fuel-contamination-scandal-with-suppliers-from-the-uae/)** > > The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has laid the blame for a big fuel contamination outbreak on suppliers from the Middle East. With 200 ships hit hard by off-spec high sulphur fuel oil sold in Singapore by Glencore and PetroChina in... Never so bad it isn’t good for somebody. (Usually Lawyers): > [@](#): > > Singapore’s contaminated fuel outbreak is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars and keep lawyers busy for years to come. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/bad-bunker-fuel/62730/13 "2022-05-14T14:14:53Z")
You are warned!!: [https://www.gard.no/web/updates/content/33544714/bunker-quality-do-bunker-suppliers-have-charterers-over-a-barrel-](https://www.gard.no/web/updates/content/33544714/bunker-quality-do-bunker-suppliers-have-charterers-over-a-barrel-)