The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified on 14 March 2022 that quite a few ships had been provided with Excessive Sulphur Gasoline Oil (HSFO) containing excessive focus ranges of Chlorinated Natural Compounds (COC) (1,2-Dichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene) within the Port of Singapore. MPA instantly contacted the related bunker suppliers to take obligatory steps to cease supplying the affected gas and to additionally inform all of the ships that have been provided with the gas to train warning when utilizing it.
Preliminary investigations carried out by MPA revealed that the affected gas – a blended product, was provided by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd (Glencore). Glencore knowledgeable MPA that on receiving studies of its gas being contaminated, Glencore proceeded to check the fuels provided by its sources utilized in its blended product, and found that one in every of them that was sourced from abroad had contained about 15000 ppm of COC. By the point of testing, Glencore had already offered a part of the affected gas to PetroChina Worldwide (Singapore) Pte Ltd (PetroChina), which in flip, had provided to ships within the Port of Singapore.
So far, Glencore and PetroChina had provided the affected gas to about 200 ships within the Port of Singapore. Of those, about 80 ships have reported varied points with their gas pumps and engines. MPA has carried out gas pattern assessments for among the affected ships and located elevated ranges of COC of their gas samples. That is the primary case of gas contamination as a consequence of excessive focus ranges of COC reported in Singapore prior to now twenty years.
Bunker gas provided within the Port of Singapore should meet the worldwide requirements of petroleum merchandise of gas – Worldwide Group for Standardization 8217 (ISO 8217) [1]. The contaminated gas bought by Glencore was in compliance with ISO 8217. Glencore had additionally carried out further testing of the gas primarily based on the American Society for Testing and Supplies (ASTM) D7845 [2]. Each ISO 8217 and ASTM D7845 don’t take a look at for COC.
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MPA is at present in discussions with the business on implementing further gas high quality checks that will display screen for unacceptable chemical compounds. MPA additionally intends to submit a paper on the gas contamination with COC to the Worldwide Maritime Group for the members’ consciousness.
As a significant bunkering hub, MPA takes bunker high quality assurance severely and won’t hesitate to take obligatory actions towards related events if they’ve did not adjust to MPA’s bunker licence circumstances or different relevant laws.
Supply: Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore
