Asia/Pacific News
Testing Firm Warns of Phenols in Singapore VLSFO
Bunker testing company Maritec has found evidence of phenols appearing in Singapore VLSFO.
The company has tested VLSFO samples from Singapore deliveries in January and February and found two instances of a product from the same barge and supplier containing potentially harmful phenol levels of 385 ppm and 111 ppm, it said in a note published on its website on Monday.
"At these high concentrations there is an increased risk of the fuel losing its stability and breaking down leading to deposits in fuel system filters and purifiers," the company said.
"If Phenol is detected in your bunker fuel Maritec advises to carefully observe the system for above signs and conduct further GCMS testing by ASTM D7845 and Solid Phase Extraction to detect other higher boiling point phenolic compounds and Estonian shale oil (alkyl 1,3-benzenediol derivatives)."
Phenols and other contaminants were suspected to be behind the global bunker contamination crisis of 2018 that originated in the US Gulf.
