Singapore’s MPA traces source of contaminated HSFO

Written by

Marine Log Staff

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) says it has tracked down the source of the contaminated HSFO bunker gasoline identified in March by leading marine fuel testing provider VPS.

The MPA says it was notified on March 14, {that a} quantity of ships had been equipped with excessive sulfur gasoline oil (HSFO) containing excessive focus ranges of chlorinated natural compounds (COC) within the Port of Singapore. MPA has carried out investigations and recognized the source of the contamination.

MPA INVESTIGATION FINDINGS

The contaminated HSFO containing excessive concentrations of COC was traced again to gasoline bought by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd (Glencore) in January and February 2022. Glencore had bought the gasoline by means of Straits Pinnacle Pte Ltd, which had contracted its provide from Unicious Energy Pte Ltd. The contaminated HSFO was loaded on the Port of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) onto a tanker and shipped to floating storage services in Tanjong Pelepas, Malaysia to be additional blended. The blended HSFO was subsequently delivered to storage services in Singapore. Part of the blended HSFO was additionally bought by Glencore to PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd (PetroChina).

FORENSIC FINGERPRINTING

To confirm the source of contamination, MPA examined gasoline samples taken from numerous sources, together with the tanker which delivered the HSFO from the Port of Khor Fakkan, gasoline mixing services, and storage services of Glencore and PetroChina. Fuel onboard the tanker was discovered to comprise excessive concentrations of COC, of as much as 21,000 ppm. Forensic fingerprinting evaluation of the gasoline samples taken from the tanker confirmed a match with the samples taken from a number of affected ships that had taken HSFO from Glencore and PetroChina. The forensic fingerprinting evaluation established with cheap certainty that contaminated gasoline onboard affected ships had possible come from the identical source of gasoline onboard the tanker that was loaded at Port of Khor Fakkan, UAE.

STANDARDS DIDN’T REQUIRE TESTING FOR COC

All MPA-licensed bunker suppliers are required to check the gasoline to make sure that it complies with worldwide requirements. MPA has established that each Glencore and PetroChina, as MPA-licensed bunker suppliers, had carried out assessments on the gasoline equipped primarily based on the worldwide requirements of petroleum merchandise of gasoline – International Organization for Standardization 8217 (ISO 8217) However, as the present worldwide requirements don’t require assessments for COC, the contamination was not promptly detected.

PetroChina and Glencore have since promptly taken the mandatory steps to cease supplying the affected gasoline. MPA has not acquired any report of gasoline containing excessive COC equipped by the 2 suppliers since 31 March 2022.

In gentle of this incident, MPA is encouraging bunker patrons to request for enhanced gasoline testing for COC from their bunker suppliers. MPA can be conducting additional testing of each Glencore and PetroChina’s gasoline samples.

As a worldwide bunkering hub, MPA takes bunker high quality assurance critically. MPA’s high quality gasoline assurance measures comprise the Bunker Quality Inspection System (BQIS) and the Intensified Bunker Quality Checks (IBQC). The BQIS assessments the standard of bunker equipped to vessels whereas the IBQC assessments bunker carried by bunker tankers earlier than provide to vessels. On common, over 1,300 bunker samples are examined yearly below BQIS and IBQC to confirm compliance with ISO 8217. While the incidence of COC is uncommon in bunkers, MPA will embrace COC to the checklist of chemical substances to be examined below each BQIS and IBQC with fast impact.

MPA and the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) are presently in discussions with the business on measures to strengthen the standard assurance of bunkers equipped in Singapore. MPA and SSA will co-chair an business knowledgeable group, which is able to embrace related skilled our bodies, to ascertain an inventory of chemical substances to be examined and their corresponding focus limits. The knowledgeable group is predicted to make its suggestions on further measures to strengthen bunker high quality assurance of bunkers delivered in Singapore, on an pressing foundation.