Fuel Testing

Poor-quality fuel can put the safety and operational and environmental performance of your ships at risk. Off-specification fuel could destroy moving parts in one of your ship’s engines in just one Atlantic crossing. Have you considered what the implications could be if this resulted in engine failure? It is a lot easier for you to prevent this situation from arising than to deal with its consequences.

In our experience, 12–15% of the samples we process are off-specification for one or more parameters, and 3% are dangerously off-specification to the point of potentially catastrophic results.

The most effective way of protecting your ships from the risks is through regular fuel sampling, analysis and quality assessment. Our Fuel Testing service is designed to provide you with the peace of mind that your fuel is within specification and that you won’t experience any problems. We provide you with comprehensive solutions to the challenges associated with the management of fuel quantity and quality.

Our team of expert marine engineers, supported by laboratory chemists, will also give you advice on any aspects of the fuel that are of concern, including how to handle it on board. This technical support is backed up by 24/7 availability and our rapid sample-collection services, ensuring you receive the best possible service.

We will supply you with a fuel sample kit that includes everything your Chief Engineer will require to take the sample, ensure it is representative and make sure all the relevant paperwork is in place for traceable records to be available.

Upon the delivery of your bunker, you will take a sample (following the instructions and Quick Start Guide that we provide). Our Logistics team will then assist to ensure the speedy collection of your sample and its tracked delivery to one of our Global Laboratories.

We will then complete the analysis of your sample and issue a full engineering report to your ship and/or office as required. Most importantly, if there is anything unusual or off-specification, this will be highlighted to you and technical advice will be provided.

You will gain complete confidence that your fuel is fit and suitable for use on your ships – i.e. that it will not cause any damage, will not be harmful to your crew and will comply with environmental regulations.

With highly variable bunker quality across the world, the risk of contamination that could be harmful to your ships’ systems must be managed to avoid the cost of unnecessary downtime and repairs. Investing in our sample analysis service is a small price to pay in comparison to the costs you could face if your fuel is off-specification.

Also, the calculation we provide means that the exact quantity of fuel delivered will be transparent to all parties and could provide you with the necessary evidence for any commercial claims you need to make against the supplier if short delivered.

When it comes to experience, speed of service and competitive prices, we deliver.

We are unique in being the only long-standing Class Society to provide fuel quality testing, meaning you benefit from our 30+ years of experience and technical ability in this area.

With our global presence and specialist team, we can rapidly collect and deliver the sample to one of our labs, wherever you are in the world.

We can also provide various supporting services to complement the package, such as lube oil analysis, engine health checks and quantity survey work.

Our staff are leading industry experts and are active participants on the committees of the International Council on Combustion Engines (CIMAC), INTERTANKO/ INTERCARGO, ISO 8217, the British Standards Institution (BSI), the Energy Institute (EI) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).