Total of 17 Bunker Suppliers Delivered Contaminated Fuel in Houston and Singapore: VPS

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday August 8, 2023

A total of 17 bunker suppliers have been found to have supplied the contaminated VLSFO detected in Houston and Singapore, according to testing firm VPS.

VPS is aware of a total of 17 suppliers that delivered the fuel to a total of 32 vessels, a company representative clarified to Ship & Bunker on Tuesday.

The firm issued an update on its findings around the Houston VLSFO contamination on Tuesday, saying the fuel had also been delivered to vessels in Singapore.

The contamination was initially thought to have originated from a single supplier with deliveries between March and May of this year.

VPS now understands 14 vessels received the fuel from four suppliers and were subsequently damaged by it. On top of this, 18 more vessels, supplied by 13 different suppliers, received the fuel and either saw no damage as a result, debunkered the fuel before it was used or provided no feedback on whether damage was seen. This takes the total number of suppliers to 17. 

The VPS update suggests the majority of Houston's bunker suppliers may have been carrying the contaminated product, as well as at least one firm in Singapore. The company has yet to comment on whether the Singapore deliveries were observed in the same March-May time period as the ones found in Houston.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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