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Due to the relentlessly rising price of oil and ever-increasing marineenvironmental protection awareness, the bunkering of ships, whichwas once a relatively low skill, low value, activity has evolved into ahighly focused shipboard operation in terms of regulatory compli-ance, and quality and quantity assurance.
The purpose of this guide is to assist a ships officers and crewinvolved in bunkering operations to act in compliance with appli-cable regulations and industry best practice; the guide will also beof value to shore staff.
This guide aims to provide general information, advice and guid-
ance. Detailed guidelines, instructions and procedures are availablein the ships Safety Management System (SMS) and the ShipboardOil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) or Shipboard Marine PollutionEmergency Plan (SMPEP) as appropriate.
Many owners also have their own specific requirements for theconduct of bunkering operations which are more detailed than theminimum requirements in the operational procedures contained
in the vessels SMS, SOPEP or SMPEP, especially with regard to com-mercial considerations.
Bunkering operations are governed in general terms internationallyby the IMOs MARPOL Annexes I & VI. SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation5.1 also requires that a Material Safety Data Sheet be provided foroil products carried on board ships. In addition to the IMO regula-
tions, many states, and even individual ports, have their own regu-latory regimes covering bunkering operations. It is of paramountimportance that prior to commencement of any bunkering opera-tion, a check is made with the local agent and/or bulk supplier forinformation and guidance pertaining to the local regulations.
The MARPOL Annex VI sulphur limits and application dates are as
follows:
1 July 2010 Sulphur cap in Emission Control Areas (ECAs)reducedfrom1.50%to1.00%
1January2012Globalsulphurcaptobereducedfrom4.50%to3.50%
1 January 2015 Sulphur cap within ECAs to be reduced to0.10%
1January2020Globalsulphurcaptobereducedto0.50%
Itoctio
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Halth, Safty, eviomtal potctio
SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation 5-1 requires that a Material SafetyData Sheet (MSDS) for MARPOL Annex I type Cargoes and MarineFuel Oils shall be provided to the ship by the supplier prior to load-
ing or bunkering; this is to assist shipboard personnel in carryingout their duties under safe conditions. MSDSs might include thefollowing warnings and guidance:
Fuel oil and vapours may:
Ignite
Causedizzinessandheadaches
Containhydrogensulphidewhichishighlypoisonous
Harmorcauseirritationtoskin
Irritatethemouthandlungs
Precautions:
Neverenteranenclosedspacenotapprovedassafeforentry
Standtowindwardwhenopeningtanklidsorsamplingpoints
Usegoggles
Wearsuitablegloves
Wearsuitableworkingprotectiveclothing
Changeoutofanyoil-soakedclothingassoonaspossible
Fire Precautions:
Keepallbunkerfuelawayfromnakedflames,sparksorothersources of ignition
Keepallbunkerfuelawayfromheatedsurfaces
Opatios
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Donotsmokeondeckduringbunkeringoperations
Do not smokenear fuel tanks, orother locations where fuelvapours may be given off
Safety and Environmental Protection:
Know and use the appropriate Safety Management Systemchecklists and procedures for bunkering, and if applicable, forShip to Ship operations
KnowtheshipsShipboardOilPollutionEmergencyPlan(SOPEP)or Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP)
Shipsoilspillequipmentistobereadyandavailableinaccor-dance with the SOPEP/SMPEP
Ensure that proper lines and means of communication inter-
nally and externally are established prior to commencingoperations, including particularly agreement on how ship stopor supplier stop instructions will be given, acknowledged andimplemented
Anyspillinconnectionwithabunkeringoperationmustimme-diately and in accordance with the SOPEP/SMPEP be reported to
the appropriate bodies, including but not limited to:
o Port Authorities
o Port State Authorities
o Owners/Operators/Managers
o Ships P&I Club
o Oil Spill Contractors/Qualified Individual, if applicable
o Ships Flag State
Plai fo a bi opatio
The following points should be covered in the on board proceduresof the vessel however and are restated here for the sake of clarity.
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Prior to bunkering the staff and crew involved must be aware of:
Thequantityandgradesoffueltobereceived.
Themethodofdelivery(pipeline,bargeorroadtanker).
Thetanksandpipelinesystemsonboardthatwillbeuseddur-ing the operation,
Theorderinwhichthetankswillbefilled.
Theanticipatedpumpingrateanddurationoftheoperation.
Whowillberesponsibleforeachaspectofthebunkering.
Allinvolvedshouldreviewtheappropriaterequirementsofthevessel SMS and SOPEP or SMPEP.
Moitoi a watch-pi
As with all shipboard operations, monitoring of the operation andwatch-keeping is to be carried out in accordance with the SafetyManagement System, Ship Security Plan and good seamanship tak-ing into account the prevailing conditions on board and in the vicin-ity of the ship. There should be a minimum of one deck watch and
one engine-room watch on duty at all times overseeing the:
Safeaccessbetweenshoreorshiptoship
Bunkertransferconnection
Bunkertransferprogress(transferrate,inordertoavoidover-
fills, bunkers received versus capacity and agreed quantity to bereceived on board, estimated time of completion, etc.)
Sampling
rco pi
All events and operations are to be carefully entered in both theDeck and Engine log books respectively and checks made that theappropriate entries in the Engine Room Oil Record Book are alsomade.
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Bunkersystemmaintenanceandtesting
Pre-arrivalchecklist
Bunkerloadingplan
Bunkerstart-upandcompletiontimes
Sounding/ullagerecords
Bunkermeasurementcalculations
Bunkertankgasreadings
CompliancewithSMS,SSP,inclusiveproceduresandbestprac-tices
Completedbunkerchecklists
Recordbookentries(deck,engineandscraplogbooks)
Oilrecordbooks
Allbunker-relatedcommunicationsandexchangeofdocumentsincluding:
o BunkerDeliveryNote(BDN)
o Letters of Protest
o Fact Sheets
o Sounding reports and measurement calculations sheets
o Bunker Quality certificates
o Bunker receipts
o Sample distribution and records should be carefully com-pleted, checked, forwarded and filed as appropriate.
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Procedures Inportswhicharenotinastatewhich ispartytoMARPOL Annex VI the suppliers sampling procedure may notbe in accordance with that detailed below. The suppliers maychose to follow good practice as detailed below but this will bea matter controlled by the regulations in that port and the com-
mercial agreement between the seller of the fuel and the buyerof the fuel. A continuous drip sample is to be taken throughoutbunkering at the closest available sampling point to the receiv-ing ships bunkering connection/manifold agreed between thesuppliers and receivers representatives.
Thesamplingequipment,includingasamplingcontainer,isto
be checked for proper cleanliness and operation.
Priorto commencementofbunkering,proper sealingof sam-pling container and needle valve are to be agreed upon andproperly recorded.
Samplingistostartsimultaneouslywiththebunkering;ifneces-sary, the needle valve must be adjusted to produce appropriate
sample flow.
If the sampling container is changed during bunkering, thenew sampling container and needle valve must be re-sealed; allsample seal numbers must be recorded.
Continuouschecksofthesamplingcontainerandneedlevalve
seals are to be carried out.
Aftercompletionofbunkering,boththesuppliersandreceiv-ers representatives are to verify and witness the condition ofthe seals before breaking the seals.
The sampling container is to be shaken in order to promote
homogeneity of the sample.
Thesampleistobepouredinto4or5samplecontainers.
Sample containers are to be sealed with uniquely-numberedseals.
Samplelabelsaretobecheckedagainsttheuniquely-numberedseals.
Boththesuppliersandreceiversrepresentativesaretosignthesample labels.
Svys
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Samplelabelsaretobepastedonthesamplecontainersinthepresence of the suppliers and receivers representatives.
AllsealnumbersaretoberecordedonthesamplelabelsandintheBunkerDeliveryNote(BDN).
TheBDNistobesignedandcountersignedbythesuppliersandreceivers representatives respectively.
If the vessel is enrolled in a fuel testing programme additional sam-ples will be required over and above the statutory samples; theseadditionalsealnumbersshouldalsobeincludedontheBDN.Itis
important to remember that in the event of a dispute the samplesmay be required as evidence in a court of law.
Miimm ifomatio fo a Sampl labl:
NameandIMOnumberofthereceivingship
Placeorportofbunkering
Nameofbunkersupplier
Nameofbunkercarrier(barge,tanker,truckorinstallation)
Gradeofbunkerfuel
Dateandtimedeliverycommenced
Samplemethodusedtoobtainrepresentativesample
Locationatwhichsamplewasdrawn
Nameandsignatureofthesupplier'srepresentative
Nameandsignatureofthereceiver'srepresentative
Sealnumber(andalsocross-checkedwithBDN)
Catio
Donotsignanysamplesealsorlabelspriortocompletionofthebunkering
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Donotsignextrasealsorsamplelabels
Donotsignashavingreceivedanysampleswithoutwitnessingthe origin of them
Always re-check the condition of seals and recorded seal num-berspriortosigningtheBDN
Ifthereceivingshipisonlyprovidedwithsamplesofunknownorigin and/or samples which have not been witnessed, suchsamples and associated documents should be stamped and/ormarked and/or signed sample [or samples if more than one]
origin unknown, signed without prejudice to acknowledgereceipt only and a letter of protest issued to that effect.
Thesamplesgiventothevesselshouldbestoredinasafeplaceand retained for a period (usually at least 3 months) before safedisposal. Individual vessel operators may require the samples tobe retained for a longer period
TherequirementsfortheMARPOLsamplearemorestringent,these must be retained for a period of 1 year, either on boardthe vessel or at a location which is under the ships control
Tsti
It is common to have the supplied bunkers tested by an appropriatelaboratory before use on board in order to be confident that thebunkers are within the agreed specifications and do not containany substances that might diminish performance, increase wear andtear of the ships engines or otherwise cause harm.
Laboratory testing is also used to ensure compliance in MARPOLAnnex VIs Emission Control Areas and with local regulationsrequiring the use of low sulphur fuels. It is recommended thatanyindicationofsulphurlevelsabove4.5%or1.0%respectivelyshould initiate a notification to the flag administration, bunkerport administration and supplier according to the requirements oftheIMOPortStateControlGuidelinesforMARPOLAnnexVIassetout below:
The Port State Control Officer (PSCO) should check whether thequality of fuel oil used on board the ship conforms to the provisionsofMARPOLAnnexVIregulations14and18*,takingintoaccountappendix IV to the Annex. Furthermore, the PSCO should pay atten-
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tiontotherecordrequiredinregulation14(6)inordertoidentifythe sulphur content of fuel oil used while the ship is within SOxemission control areas, or that other equivalent approved meanshave been applied as required.
*It should be noted that in the case where the bunker deliverynote or representative sample as required by regulation VI/18 isnot in compliance with the relevant requirements, the master orcrewshouldhavedocumentedthatfact.Wherefueloilsupplywasundertaken in a port under the jurisdiction of a Party to MARPOLAnnex VI, the PSCO should report that non-compliance to theappropriate authority responsible for the registration of fuel oil
suppliersinaccordancewithregulationVI/18(8)(a).
Masmts a qatity
If possible, both the supplying ships and receiving ships designatedfuel tanks for the bunkering operation should be measured and sur-
veyed before commencement in order for suppliers and receiversrepresentative to agree upon the content and condition of thethese tanks. If there is any disagreement related to the quantity,this should form a basis for issuing a letter of protest but it shouldbe noted that suppliers terms and conditions generally specificallydisallow shipboard measurement in connection with any dispute asto quantity delivered.
The tank or tanks should be checked for water by water findingpaste dipping or by using a tank bottom sampling device. The waterpasteifusedinHFO,mightindicatetracesofwaterandshouldformthe basis of a letter of protest.
B awa
Receivingship'screwshouldbealerttothefollowingmalpractices:
Shorteningorlengtheningofmeasuringtapesusedbythesup-plier
Falsifiedtanktablesforthesupplyingtankortanks
Deliberatelydeclaringincorrectdensitiesand temperaturesofthe delivered fuel or fuels
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Fqtly AsQstios (FAQ):
Addingwater;forexamplebyusingthesupplyingbargesfire-pumps or other service-pumps
Byaddingairtothefuel,theso-calledcappuccinoeffect
Other less sophisticated methods of reducing the quantity ofbunker fuel delivered include unauthorised or concealed pipingbetween the storage tanks and other un-nominated tanks, such ascoffer dams or void spaces.
What if th ships calclatios a masmts o ot co-spo to th spplis fis o th b cipt?
Be sure towitness themeasurementsat thesuppliersendofthe delivery line wherever possible. Suppliers will normally onlyaccept delivering barge/ship, tank-truck or shore-tank figures as
conclusive.
Iftheshipdoesnotagreewiththetanksoundings,insistthatthey are re-taken again immediately.
Iftheshipdoesnotagreetothequantitycalculations,signonlyfor the soundings and serve a note of protest in respect of the
calculated volume.
If the problem cannot be resolved appoint an independentsurveyortomeasureallbargeandship'stanks.
What is dsity?
Density is important in terms of quantity calculations and correctoperation of the purifier; it is also an indicator of the energy andignition quality of the fuel oil.
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13Fqtly AsQstios (FAQ) (cot.):
Densityistherelationshipbetweenmassandvolumeatagiventemperature and the unit is kg/m3. The standard referencetemperature used in international trade for density calculationof petroleum products is 15C. Applying this density at 15C tothe volume gives the weight in vacuum.
The relationship between density and weight factor in airfor fuel oils is approximately 1.1 kg/m3. To convert density at15C to the weight factor in air at 15C, 1.1 kg/m3 should bededucted.
What if th is xcss wat cott i b fl?
Thelevelofwaterinbunkerfuelisnormallylow,about0.1-0.2%by volume. The introduction of water can originate from a numberof sources, including:
Tankcondensation
Tankleakage
Heatingcoilleakage
Deliberateinjection
Even though not a normal procedure, it is possible at least to obtainindications or traces of water in the delivered fuel by use of waterpaste; if water is detected, a letter of protest should be issued stat-ing that traces of water in the fuel have been found. The actualamount of water present can normally only be established whenthe water has settled down at the bottom of the fuel tank, a dayor so after delivery.
Normal levels of water in the fuel are usually drained from theships settling tanks with the remaining water being removed by thepurifier and centrifuge. Most ships can comfortably handle fuel oilwithwatercontentuptoabout2%beforethepurifier.
What is slph?
Sulphur is a naturally occurring element in crude oil; it becomesconcentrated in the residual heavy fuel during the refining process.The concentration of sulphur in fuel oil depends primarily on the
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14Fqtly AsQstios (FAQ): (cot.)
origin of the crude oil. On a worldwide scale the average sulphurlevelisintherangeof2-4%m/m(bymass).
What is fl oil bli?
Blending is a process for mixing two or more residual fuel oils and/or distillate fuel oils to achieve a specific end product defined typi-callybyreferencetoISO8217,IFOandviscosity,sulphurcontentorother parameters. In practice, all bunker fuel is blended at one ormore stages of its journey from refinery to ship, occasionally with
material that is not suitable for use as bunker fuel; usually but notinvariably, such contamination is uncovered by laboratory analysisof delivery samples.
What if fa o attmpt fa is xpic?
Any suspicion of fraud, provision of incorrect information or otherirregularities should as a minimum, form a basis for issuing a letterof protest for each incident or irregularity to the supplier. Seriouscases of suspected fraud or disagreement relating to the amountsaid by the supplier to have been delivered and believed by the shipto have been received should be reported to the ships P&I Club.
What a off spc bs?
Off spec bunkers are simply bunkers that are materially differentfrom the contract specification.
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The ship should advise the bunker purchaser of: thegradeandquantityofbunkersneededsafelytocomplete
the planned next voyage thecapacityofthefullysegregatedbunkertanksforstoringthe
above bunkers upon arrival at the planned bunkering location
the location of the ships bunkering manifold and estimatedheightabovethewaterlineanddistancefromtheship'sside
Bunker purchasers should advise the ship of: thespecificationandquantityofbunkerfuelstemmed(ordered)
and Where,whenandhowthebunkerfuelwillbedelivered.
Ships should take into account that: Bunkersfromdifferentsuppliersshouldbesegregatedsofaras
practicable All bunker tanks should be gauged and the results recorded
prior to and on completion of bunkering Documentation should not be signed before witnessing the
actual event in respect of which the signature is requested
Samples should be taken by the continuous-drip methodthroughout the bunkering
Ifbunkersaresuppliedbymorethanonesupplier,separatesetsof samples should be taken of each bunker delivery
Thebunkerdeliveryreceiptshouldbesignedonlyforthevol-ume received if there is any doubt that the true density and/ortemperature of the bunker fuel is not as stated.
rfcs to latios a iac: MARPOLAnnexI-RegulationsforthePreventionofPollutionbyOil MARPOLAnnexVI-PreventionofAirPollutionfromShips. IMOMEPC.1/Circ.508BunkerDeliveryNoteandFuelOilSampling IMOGuidelinesfortheSamplingofFuelOil-AnnexVIofMARPOL73/78 SOLASChapterVIRegulation5.1MaterialSafetyDataSheet OPA90-TheOilPollutionAct(OPA)USlawadoptedinAugust1990 EUDirective2005/33/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof6
July2005amendingDirective1999/32/ECasregardsthesulphurcontentofmarine fuels
ISGOTTFifthEditionChapter25.4.3 ShiptoShipTransferGuide,ICS BIMCOStandardBunkerContract BIMCOBunkerClauses ISO8217FuelStandard2010
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IBIA Aims of th Associatio
To provide an international forum for bunker industry issues;To represent the industry in discussions and negotiations with nationaland international policy makers, legislators and other groups and bod-ies;To review, clarify, improve, develop and endorse where appropriate,industry methods, practices and documentation;To increase the professional understanding and competence of all whowork in the industry;To provide services and facilities for members and others as the Boardshall from time to time consider appropriate.
BIMCO rflcti Yo Itsts
BIMCO is an independent international shipping association comprisedof ship owners, managers, brokers, agents and many other stakehold-ers with vested interests in the shipping industry. The association actson behalf of its global membership to promote higher standards and
greater harmony in regulatory matters. It is a catalyst for the develop-ment and promotion of a fair and equitable international shippingpolicy.
IBIA
The International Bunker Industry Association
GroundFloorLatimerHouse
5-7CumberlandPlace
Southampton,HampshireSO152BH
www.ibia.net