How is bunkering done?

The grade or type of fuel being delivered determines the mode or method used to supply the fuel. There are various types of bunkering facilities used to supply fuel to a ship, a barge or small ship can be used to transfer heavy fuel oil to a vessel, if the quantity of oil is less; lube oil, MGO, LNG etc. It can be supplied using trucks

Bunkering procedure is separated into 3 vital stages

Preparation – this involves readying bunkering equipment, storage tanks and taking safety precautions for the procedure.

Perform – carrying out the bunkering procedure in real time to receive the fuel according to the bunker plan.

Wrap-up – finishing the procedure with utmost safety and confirming that the correct amount and quality of fuel has been received on board

Bunkering Checklist

There are some steps/activities that must be done to ensure that that a bunkering procedure goes smoothly without mishap; it is referred to as the bunkering checklist. This steps are to be taken before, during and after the operation and it is the responsibility of the chief engineer

How do you prepare for a bunkering operation?

Before a bunkering operation commences, some steps must be taken to ensure a smooth operation, these steps include

1. The chief engineer  calculating and checking which bunker oil tanks are to be filled after he/she receives confirmation from the shore office about the amount of fuel to be accepted.

2.  Emptying  tanks and transferring  oil from one tank to other to prevent the mixing of two oils and prevent incompatibility between the previous oil and the new oil.

• The sounding of other fuel storage tank to keep a record of fuel already present on-board.

• A meeting between the members taking part in the bunkering process to explain

Which tanks are to be filled

Sequence order of tanks to be filled

How much bunker oil is to be taken

Bunkering safety procedures

Emergency procedure in case oil spill occurs

Responsibilities of each officer

• Provision of an overflow tank in the engine room which is connected to the bunker tank and bunker line. The overflow tank must be empty to transfer excess fuel from the bunker tanks
• Provision of Adequate lighting at the bunker and sounding position
•  Closing and blanking of Opposite side bunker manifold valves
• Vessel draught and trim is recorded before bunkering
•  All equipment in SOPEP(shipboard oil pollution emergency plan) locker are checked and kept near the bunkering station
• When bunker ship or barge is secured to the ship side, the person in charge on the barge is also explained about the bunker plan
• Bunker supplier’s paperwork is checked to confirm the oil’s grade and the density
•  The pumping rate of the bunker fuel is agreed with the bunker barge/ bunker truck
• The hose is then connected to the manifold. The condition of the hose must be checked properly by the ship staff
• Once the connection is made, the chief engineer will ensure all the line valves which will lead the bunker fuel to the selected bunker tanks are open, keeping the main manifold valve shut
• Proper communication between the barge and the ship is to be established
• Sign and signals are to be followed as discussed in case of communication during an emergency
• Check if emergency stop switch is working before commencing operation
• Once all the checks are done, the manifold valve is open for bunkering

How is bunkering calculated?

Bunker fuel is a product of high value so it has to be carefully and accurately calculated to determine its quantity. The volume of bunker increases with increase in temperature but its weight always remain the same therefore bunker is always ordered in weight and not volume.

The basic formula for calculating bunker quantity in weight is :

Mass = volume x density

With this formula, the density and volume of the bunker fuel should be known at the same temperature.

Usually before starting bunker operations, the temperature at which the bunker is received and the standard density of the fuel oil is checked and noted.

There are other things to be taken note of like the floating conditions of the ship such as the trim and list. They should be noted while taking the sounding of bunker tanks.

Using the ship’s tank capacity table, the volume of oil at tank temperature for the corresponding tank sounding is measured, giving the actual sounded volume.

The density of fuel oil (in kg/m3) at a standard reference temperature of 15⁰C is always provided by the supplier in Bunker Delivery Note. With this, the density of fuel oil at tank temperature can be determined using ASTM table or using software most commonly installed on all ship’s computer.

The formula used to calculate the Temperature Corrected Density is = (Density of Fuel Oil @ 15⁰C) x [1- {(T-15) x 0.00064}]

Where:

T = temperature of oil in bunker tanks in degree Celsius,

0.00064 = Correction factor

Since the bunker oil is normally supplied to the vessel at a temperature higher than 15⁰C, the formula used for calculating the bunker quantity in weight will be:

Metric Tonnes =  (Actual Sounder Volume) X (Temperature Corrected Density)

 The corresponding values of each tank are tabulated for easy reading and the total weight of bunker quantity is calculated.

How much bunker fuel does a ship use?

The fuel consumption of a vessel is determined primarily by its speed, most ships have top speeds of about 20 – 25 knots per hour, which is equivalent to 23-28 miles per hour. Fuel usage reduces as speed decreases, a container ship can decrease fuel use close to one-third if it drops its speed 10%.

Due to the 2008-2009 recession, major carriers devised a method to reduce fuel consumption called slow steaming. Major carriers reduced ship speeds to 19 mph with slow steaming, this decreased the amount of fuel used on each voyage.

Fuel consumption of container ships are based on ship size and cruising speed, for example a container ship of around 8000 TEU uses 225 tons of fuel per day at 25 knot while it uses 150 tons of fuel per day at 21 knots.

The main ship speeds are:

Normal – 20 – 25 knots = 37.0-46.3 km/hr

Slow steaming – 18-20 knots = 33.3-37.0 km/hr

Extra slow steaming – 15-18 knots = 27.8-33.3 km/hr

Minimal cost – 12-15 knots = 22.2-27.8 km/hr

Bunkering Services

Hendiac Nigeria limited is known for reliable bunker supply, we undertake delivery of marine fuels, assuring reliable and on-time delivery of bunkers for our clients. We have strong market relations, trusted suppliers, up to date information and global reach; these qualities makes us the best to ensure your nominations and deliveries are taken care of.

Our bunkering services are available wherever you go, whether it’s a major bunkering location or a non-traditional refuelling port.

we promote efficiency at competitive prices and the peace of mind that comes from established credit lines with the world’s major suppliers. We have strong relationships with trustworthy suppliers worldwide, enabling us to offer competitive prices with flexible credit lines.

Maritime Shipping/Freighting

This is the transport of goods (cargo) and people by sea. Water transport has always been an essential mode of transport throughout history. Freight transport by sea has been widely used by man for a long time; even though the aviation industry has reduced passenger shipping, short trips and pleasure cruises are still popular.

Freight transport by water is cost effective despite fluctuating exchange rates and freighting charges known as the currency adjustment factor (CAF). Almost any type of cargo can be transported by water and maritime shipping can cover any distance by boat, ship, sailboat or barge on oceans, lakes, rivers, canals. Maritime shipping is cost efficient for heavy loads, bulk cargoes like coal, coke, ores and grains but is impractical for time critical goods like perishable products. Maritime  freighting is the economical option to transport goods overseas. Maritime shipping can accommodate all shapes, sizes, and weights of freight, the only disadvantage is that it takes longer time.

Shipping Agency

A ship agency is the designated agency that is responsible for handling all the management of a ship or fleet on behalf of a ship owner or shipping company, the agency through the use of shipping agents handle their customers interests at every port and harbour worldwide. These agents can also be referred to as port agents or cargo brokers.

Port Agency

When a ship docks at a foreign port, the shipping company will want to ensure that nothing goes wrong with the ship’s cargo and crew for the duration they are docked, a port agent is hired to take charge of managing the ships operations. The duties of the port agent is to bridge language barriers if there is any; the port agent takes care of all the paperwork that the ship needs to be able to dock ; if the ship requires port services like unloading of cargo, the port agent books them and they make  sure there is a berthing space available and stevedores are ready for the ship at its allocated time.

The port agent is usually one of the first people to board the ship when it berths, they bring mail, local currency, instructions from another port, information about the goods they’ll be carrying and their destination; they collect a list of supplies needed by the crew, such as marine fuel and lubricants, engine room spare parts, and fresh provisions which is supplied as quickly as possible . When the ship leaves, the port agent calculate the costs that have been incurred by the ship during its visit for the ship owner’s account.

                                             Illegal Oil Bunkering

What is the meaning of Illegal Bunkering?

Illegal bunkering refers to all acts of oil: diversion and smuggling of oil, siphoning from pipelines, unauthorized loading of ships ;tapping into pipelines and transporting the oil to another destination to be sold or refined.

Illegal bunkering causes oil spills and explosions which are regular occurrences in the Niger Delta. Pipeline vandalism from bunkering leaves pipes vulnerable to leaks, spills and major accidents. Oil spills contaminate soil and ground water, destroy fish habitat and degrade the environment.