Quality Checking and Quantity Checking in Bunker Process

Quantity measurement

Quantity measurement of the marine fuels in the bunkering process is one of the main step and it is done in the two points of the process.

1. Buying point measurements
2. Selling point measurements                                                                 

are them. These measurements are taken by using the Dip Stick Counting method. This Measurement is made by 'dipping' the compartment before the delivery and noting how much oil is in the compartment, then 'dipping' again afterwards, seeing how much remains, and working out how much has been delivered.

1. Buying point measurements

Basically two measurements are taken in the buying point to verify the quantity which have been loaded to the barge or the shore. Ship supply quantity and Shore received quantity are them. These two measurements cannot be the same in any moment due to following reasons.

• Temperature effect
• Density
• It is a liquid which inside the tube and therefore it can be filled packed or slacked
• Pipeline packness or the slackness

Due these effects if received additional fuel quantity than the ship supply quantity, have to pass an AE (Additional Entry) for the additional quantity from the custom. If received less fuel quantity than the ship supply quantity, duties have to be paid for the shortage quantity to the custom.

Received quantity is measured after the fuel keeping one or half day in the barge or the shore, to avoid the quantity discrimination occur due to cappuccino effect. Due to cappuccino effect, the dip is not accurate.    

1. Selling point measurements

Same as the buying of the fuels, when they sell to the customers duties have to be paid if there is any shortage and there is a 0.05% tolerance to load the fuels. Following procedures are followed when measuring the selling fuels by both parties,

• Quantities of any Marine Fuels delivered by or on behalf of the seller to the buyer shall be determined from the gauge of the bunker tanker effecting delivery, on in case of delivery ex-wharf, of the shore-tank.

• The master of the vessel, chief engineer or a member of crew get together with the seller’s representative to measure and verify quantities of marine fuel delivered from seller’s bunker tanker or/and shore tanks.

• Such measurements or soundings are taken both before and after the bunker tanker delivers the marine fuel to the vessel. These measurements are measured and calculated in accordance with the latest ASTM petroleum measurement tables.

• If any representative of the buyer who mentioned before fails or declines to verify the quantities of marine fuel delivered to the vessel, the measurements made by the seller are final, conclusive and binding on the parties and buyer cannot make any question about that.

Sampling

 Sampling is one of the major function of the bunkering. Here are steps are followed in the sampling process,

Three samples are taken nearer to the barge manifold, and one is given to the receiving vessel and other two are taken by the bunker supplier. From that two samples, one is for the barge for the retention sample, other with the seller for the retention sample. These are used to continuous drip sampling which called Marpol Sample method and from that, sample is divided to 1:3. If the drip sample is not available, composite samples is taken from the 3 levels that Is top, mid and the bottom. These samples are being sealed, tagged and given serial numbers and then kept them for 60 days.