Contaminated gasoline equipped to some 200 ships in Singapore got here from a tanker that loaded the oil from Khor Fakkan port within the United Arab Emirates, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) stated.
MPA started investigations after it was notified on March 14 that quite a few ships had been equipped with high-sulphur gasoline oil (HSFO) containing excessive focus ranges of chlorinated natural compounds (COC)in Singapore.
MPA stated in April that the contaminated oil was equipped by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd.
In additional investigations to hint the oil’s origin, MPA stated the tanker that loaded the oil from Khor Fakkan had discharged the cargo into floating storage services in Tanjong Pelepas, Malaysia for additional mixing, earlier than being delivered to storage services in Singapore.
- Advertisement -
Glencore had bought the gasoline by means of Straits Pinnacle Pte Ltd, which had contracted its provide from Unicious Power Pte Ltd, MPA, which oversees the world’s largest bunkering port, stated in a press release late on Thursday.
A part of the blended HSFO was additionally offered by Glencore to PetroChina Worldwide (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
Glencore declined to remark. The Khor Fakkan port, PetroChina, Singapore-registered oil buying and selling corporations Straits Pinnacle and Unicious didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
MPA stated that it had discovered gasoline on board the tanker to include excessive concentrations of COC, of as much as 21,000 elements per million (ppm).
MPA didn’t title the tanker concerned and point out the place the oil was initially produced. Ship-to-ship oil transfers typically happen at Khor Fakkan the place the oil’s origin is unknown.
- Advertisement -
Glencore and PetroChina had equipped the affected gasoline to about 200 ships, and 80 of those ships had reported varied points with their gasoline pumps and engines, MPA stated in April.
MPA stated Glencore and PetroChina had examined the gasoline consistent with worldwide requirements, however didn’t detect the contamination as present worldwide requirements don’t require checks for COC.
COC will probably be included within the listing of chemical compounds to be examined in bunker high quality gasoline assurance checks, MPA stated.
Supply: Reuters (Reporting by Isabel Kua; Modifying by Florence Tan and Elaine Hardcastle)
