OSLO-based Skuld, a marine insurance provider, has issued a guidance on tainted bunker fuel supplies at ports in the US Gulf region, Caribbean and Far East, reports London's Tanker Operator.
Certain compounds - phenols and fatty acids, among others - have been identified in the fuel, which have reportedly led to engine problems.
The operational issues generally involve excessive formation of sludge or sediments, linked to the blocking of filters and fuel pumps and eventually damage to engine components, said the Skuld press release.
Thus far, there is no clear explanation as to how these compounds would cause these problems, said the report.
Identifying and retaining the relevant samples for analysis is critical, Skuld stressed. The bunker supply contract, for example, may provide that the sample retained by the bunker barge is binding for the purposes of determining quality; such contracts also typically have a short deadline for notification of quality disputes failing which the claim may be time barred.
The charterparty may contain its own provisions regarding the samples, which are to be determined in terms of quality.
Given the range of tests that may be necessary, those owners/operators stemming bunkers at affected ports should endeavour to ensure that the samples taken during bunkering are sufficient - using one litre bottles as a minimum.
It is recommended that the crew closely monitor the sampling procedure and check that the samples from the delivering barge are properly collected.
In cases where problems have already occurred, consideration should be given to taking further samples on board the vessel, including of any sludge or sediment which may have developed.
Fuel of this type is typically supplied under the ISO 8217 standards. Skuld said that it understood the most commonly used are the 2005 and 2010 editions, although there are more recent editions issued in 2012 and 2017.
To the extent that such materials are identified, the relevant provisions of the specification are Clause 5 and - in the 2010 and subsequent editions - Annex B. Clause 5 provides a greater degree of protection for the purchaser in this context than the 'Table 2' tests.
'Worryingly, we are now starting to hear that suppliers are in some instances revising supply contracts to eliminate Clause 5,' Skuld said. 'Given the broader requirements of Clause 5 over the particular specifications identified by the tests, this will have the effect of significantly reducing a purchaser's recourse against the supplier.'
In such a situation and assuming the bunkers were 'off-spec' under the broad Clause 5 requirements, the timecharterer could under the charterparty be held liable for any losses suffered by the owners but without any recourse to the supplier.
We therefore recommend that the purchasers of such bunkers, be they owners or time charterers, check carefully that Clause 5 is included in the supply contract before purchase, Skuld warned.
Certain compounds - phenols and fatty acids, among others - have been identified in the fuel, which have reportedly led to engine problems.
The operational issues generally involve excessive formation of sludge or sediments, linked to the blocking of filters and fuel pumps and eventually damage to engine components, said the Skuld press release.
Thus far, there is no clear explanation as to how these compounds would cause these problems, said the report.
Identifying and retaining the relevant samples for analysis is critical, Skuld stressed. The bunker supply contract, for example, may provide that the sample retained by the bunker barge is binding for the purposes of determining quality; such contracts also typically have a short deadline for notification of quality disputes failing which the claim may be time barred.
The charterparty may contain its own provisions regarding the samples, which are to be determined in terms of quality.
Given the range of tests that may be necessary, those owners/operators stemming bunkers at affected ports should endeavour to ensure that the samples taken during bunkering are sufficient - using one litre bottles as a minimum.
It is recommended that the crew closely monitor the sampling procedure and check that the samples from the delivering barge are properly collected.
In cases where problems have already occurred, consideration should be given to taking further samples on board the vessel, including of any sludge or sediment which may have developed.
Fuel of this type is typically supplied under the ISO 8217 standards. Skuld said that it understood the most commonly used are the 2005 and 2010 editions, although there are more recent editions issued in 2012 and 2017.
To the extent that such materials are identified, the relevant provisions of the specification are Clause 5 and - in the 2010 and subsequent editions - Annex B. Clause 5 provides a greater degree of protection for the purchaser in this context than the 'Table 2' tests.
'Worryingly, we are now starting to hear that suppliers are in some instances revising supply contracts to eliminate Clause 5,' Skuld said. 'Given the broader requirements of Clause 5 over the particular specifications identified by the tests, this will have the effect of significantly reducing a purchaser's recourse against the supplier.'
In such a situation and assuming the bunkers were 'off-spec' under the broad Clause 5 requirements, the timecharterer could under the charterparty be held liable for any losses suffered by the owners but without any recourse to the supplier.
We therefore recommend that the purchasers of such bunkers, be they owners or time charterers, check carefully that Clause 5 is included in the supply contract before purchase, Skuld warned.