Americas News
Canadian Company Launches 'Bunker Detective' Business
Canadian marine surveying and cargo inspection firm AVA Marine Group Inc. (AVA) says it has launched a "Bunker Detective" division to find concealed bunkers for charterers and bunker brokers.
"Our bunker fuel concealment detection largely depends on the hands-on approach and practical experience of surveyors and therefore we employ / subcontract only the best in the industry - our surveyors being ex-seafarers themselves are well-versed with the various techniques used to conceal bunkers on board," said AVA founder and principal marine surveyor Kaivan H. Chinoy.
The new division is focused on providing 221B Surveys through a network that covers Vancouver, Montreal, Los Angeles, Houston, New Jersey/New York, Panama, and Kuwait.
It also provides bunker stem surveys, charter on/off hire surveys, vessel condition surveys, and bunker quantity surveys.
The company says on its website that, because bunkers are a large part of the expense involved in any voyage, charterers need to know the exact quantity on board, and it says bunkers can be concealed with hidden compartments, altered pipes, doctored fuel gauges, and other methods that are difficult for non-professionals to detect.
