What are the challenges in
surveying?
IBIA Annual Convention 2014 - Hamburg.
Michael Green – Marine Services
Global Technical Manager – Bunker Fuel Testing
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Bunker Quantity Survey – Why?
• Bunkers are typically the largest
contributor to the operational costs of
a ship, with the physical transfer of
fuel often taking place thousands of
miles away from the contracting
offices.
• As neither the buyer nor the seller is
present to witness the bunker quantity
transfer and sampling procedures on
board, any post-delivery investigation
on quantity shortages is usually futile
and inconclusive.
• Protests, demurrages, physical
shortages, legal fees, management
time, loss of goodwill, inconvenience
and stress can add to overall costs.
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Bunker Quantity Survey (BQS) - Basics
Pre-delivery tank measurements of bunker tanker and receiving vessel
Post-delivery tank measurements of bunker tanker and receiving vessel
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Sounding pipe's reference heights gauged for data check
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Frequent soundings used to deter illegal transfer of bunker between tanks
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Bunker temperature and vessel's trim taken for corrections
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Monitor the presence of free water before and after delivery
Supervision of bunker operations and quality sampling procedures
"Representative" bunker sample(s) taken and distributed to a specified
laboratory for quality testing
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sealed with a proper label and acknowledged by all related parties
Calculations of bunker delivery quantities
Survey Reports and documentation of all measurements, delivery quantity,
calculations and quality sampling presented in a systematic approach
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Bunkering Standards
• International Standard ISO 13739 Procedures for transfer of bunkers to
vessels
• In Singapore we have SS600 - Singapore
Standard Code of Practice for Bunkering
• Gibraltar - Bunkering - Code of Practice
• GOST Russian Standard
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SS600 ‘the Singapore Bunker Bible’
Singapore Standard Code of Practice for Bunkering – SS 600,
covers pre-delivery, actual delivery and post-delivery checks
and documentation.
Main Aim to minimise bunker disputes
Quality & Quantity Discrepancies
MPA Issues Reminders
Ship-owners, operators and charterers should advise their
officers to follow the procedures and requirements as
stipulated in the SS 600 when bunkering in Singapore.
Only samples with seal numbers on BDN accepted
5 samples taken (more by agreement)
Note of protest essential
Any quality claim within 30 days
(Only applicable in Singapore)
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - 2014
• Approx. 5000 BQS conducted in 2014
YTD.
• These BQS have been conducted in 116
ports across the world.
• Not all surveys are conducted in
accordance with a recognised standard!
• As a result problems / challenges are
encountered.
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Figures
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
• Location of the survey often dictates
problems to be noted / expected.
• Certain problems are witnessed regularly
in certain ports.
• Local knowledge provides the key for
avoiding problems / discrepancies.
• So………….
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
• What do we see?
• European Mediterranean port - no barge
calibration tables.
• US Gulf port – pre-printed BDR based on
nominated quantity.
• Far East port – deliveries less than nominated
quantity.
• Southern Hemisphere country – local regs can
prevent surveyor accessing the barge
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
• What do we see?
“two so called "magic pipes" have been found on board the vessel
which were evidently placed there with the purpose of deceiving
anyone relying on the vessel´s figures. Photos taken by our
surveyor are attached for your ease of reference”
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Bunker Quantity Surveys - Challenges
STATEMENT OF FACTS
ON BEHALF OF OUR CLIENT(S), WE HAVE BEEN APPOINTED INSPECTORS ON
THE ABOVE NAMED VESSEL. ACTING FOR AND ON THEIR BEHALF, WE HEREBY
NOTIFY YOU THAT ON THE LISTED DATE AND TIME THE FOLLOWING
OCCURRED.
SUPPLIERS DENSITY IS USED FOR CALCULATION PURPOSES
NO TRIM CORRECTIONS WERE FOUND IN BARGE'S TANKTABLES,
MEASUREMENTS OF THE BARGE WERE MADE AT CENTRE POINT OF THE TANKS
CARGO OPERATIONS IN COURSE OF BUNKERING WHICH MAY AFFECT TRIM.
AFTER BUNKERING WE FOUND A SHORTAGE OF ABOUT 9 MT TO SURVEYORS
CALCULATIONS AND ABOUT 10 MT TO CHIEF ENGINEER'S CALCULATION
WHEN EXAMINING TANK TABLES, SURVEYOR CAN FIND NO PROVE THAT THIS
IS THE CORRECT SOUNDING TABLE FOR THIS VESSEL, THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL
SOUNDING TABLES, THERE IS NO CALIBRATION DATE
HEIGHT OF THE TANKS OBSERVED IS SB 9,33M AND P 9,72M - IN THE
TANKTABLES IT GOES UP TO 9 M BOTH SIDES
THERE IS ALSO NO TRIM ADJUSTMENTS IN THE TANKTABLES
CAPTAIN CALLED THE CHARTERERS AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT IF 2,5 MT
WAS DEDUCTED FROM THE BDN
NO LETTER OF PROTEST WOULD BE ISSUED
SUPPLIER AGREED.
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V- Net - What is ‘V-Net’?
• Many Chinese ship builders are calibrating vessels
tanks via the use of V-Net.
• What is V Net?
• VNET: Net Volume of tanks taking structural reduction
into consideration
• Calculated by the below formula:
VNET = VOLM x RED
• VOLM: Gross volume of tanks without structural
reduction
• RED: Reduction coefficient due to structure in tanks,
usually recognised as 0.98 in the shipbuilding industry.
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Bunker Quantity Surveys – Dispute Management
THANK YOU!
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