How To Handle Bunker Fuel Correctly

| Tuesday, July 10, 2012
By Yearden J. Lovwer


Large liners and commercial barges run on an unconventional type of bunker fuel to other, smaller marine vehicles. This industrial fuel is a thick oil, which is cheaper to produce and goes through much less quality control. Companies that buy fuel oil need to know what to search for in the product to ensure that they buy the right product for their ship as well as meeting basic fuel burning guidelines. It is also a wise idea for buyers to look into the fuel and check the quality of it.

Getting fuel from a supplier and through to a boat's engine is not as straightforward as that of a car. Deliveries have to be planned in advance and can be time consuming when working out the price. Contaminants can alter the quality and mean that shipping companies are paying more for their fuel than is necessary. Each stage of moving the bunker fuel, to the point where it is in the tanker's engine, should be done with extreme caution. With all this preparation, it helps to have the right resources to carry it out successfully.

In times when there are not the resources to clean the fuel lines, some oil will need to be mixed. Being able to easily analyze the bunker fuel samples to see if they will mix well is an advantage of having a testing lab. Those who do not take this measure may notice instability in their bunkers and will not be able to accurately predict the right type of stabilizers to use to get the situation under control.

Because of the variation in quality, thorough testing should always be used on bunker fuels. It can be easy to order the fuel at face value and potentially lose thousands of dollars through wrongly performed checks. Lab tools allow for the thorough testing of fuels so that the risks of accidents and damage to the boat are minimized. Tests should also be logged accurately with witnesses on paper, for extra security.

Buying fuel for large sea vessels isn't an ordinary transaction, and many steps should be taken along the way for the safety and security of all involved. As mentioned, lab testing kits can help when taking samples, but the best resource is the knowledge that is usually provided on expert web pages. In doing this it is hard to go wrong with the purchase. Everyone in the industry should know why this kind of exactness and caution is necessary.




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