Quantity Discrepancies Seen in 39% of Bunker Deliveries: FuelTrust

The shipping industry may be losing significant amounts of money to bunker quantity discrepancies. File Image / Pixabay

Maritime technology firm FuelTrust has published new research suggesting more than a third of bunker deliveries involve discrepancies between the amount sold and the amount delivered.

The firm analysed bunker delivery data covering the years 2019 to 2022 and has published a new report on its findings, it said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

The research found that more than 39% of bunker deals involved a discrepancy of at least 2% between the amount delivered and the amount registered in the paperwork.

"The primary issue identified was the introduction of water into the fuels during the journey from onshore storage tanks to the ship's bunker tank," the company said in the statement.

"This problem typically involved an increase from 0.1% to above 0.25% water content, which, although below the regulated threshold, still resulted in average losses of $14,910 per affected delivery."

The increased use of mass flow meters to measure bunker deliveries is aimed at reducing quantity disputes, and these systems have been made mandatory in Singapore for several years and will shortly become so in Rotterdam and Antwerp.

"It is worth noting that the implementation of electronic mass flow meters has proven beneficial in reducing instances of 'paper fraud' and collusion," FuelTrust said in the report.

"The industry recognizes the importance of transitioning to paperless operations and providing real-time transactional reporting, and efforts are underway to develop viable solutions.

"However, with the introduction of transitional and future-fuels into the market, new potential points of loss are emerging."

To view the report, titled The Cost of Fraud in the Maritime Fuel Market, click here.