World Bunkering > News > Autumn 2010 > Global round-up

AMERICAS

ISO8217 compliant fuel in Colombia

Bunkers International Corp says it is now delivering marine bunker fuels meeting the revised ISO8217 standard at Cartagena and Barranquilla on request, in collaboration with its Colombian joint venture partner, Vanoil.

The company says the new products have very low metals content and all other parameters within the 2010 specifications. They can be blended to meet either 1.50% or 1.00% maximum sulphur levels.

Bunkers International president John Canal says: “This product will be of great interest to our customers with charterparty agreements that mandate the newest ISO specifications. Charterers can meet their contractual obligations while receiving the same high-quality service we have become known for. In fact, Bunkers International also offer a full service and fees inclusive “bunkers-only” call to the Cartagena anchorage, which should appeal to vessels in transition to areas requiring the ISO2010 specification or 1% max sulphur product, which Bunkers International can also provide.”

ASIA

Brightoil orders 40 tankers

Brightoil Petroleum Group (BPG) plans to build 40 bunkering tankers at Chinese yards. The newbuilding programme became public in July, but has apparently been in place for some time. It would appear to be part of BPG’s determined expansion drive in both the Chinese and international markets. In particular, BPG has been expanding its presence in Singapore rapidly in the past few months.

Finnish engine maker Wärtsilä Ship Power has announced it will supply 80 main engines for BPG’s new bunkering tankers in a deal worth over Ä23 million, representing one of Wärtsilä’s largest ever orders in number terms.

A Wärtsilä statement says that BPG has recently signed the contract for the 10 first bunkering tankers with a shipyard in Zhejiang, China. The bunkering tankers will be launched in June 2012.

Each tanker is to be powered by two 6-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 20 medium-speed engines, with delivery of the first 10 engines scheduled to take place between December 2010 and June 2011. The bunkering tankers will be of two sizes, 4,100 dwt and 7,000 dwt, and both designs have the same power configuration, utilising a twin-screw propulsion solution. Some of the bunkering tankers will operate in Chinese waters and will be CCS classified. The remainder bunkering tankers will trade in international waters and be classified by Bureau Veritas (BV). BPG will operate the vessels itself.

Wärtsilä has also signed an eight-year spare parts and technical services agreement with BPG for all 80 engines.

Sinopec launches bunker arm

Chinese state-owned oil company, Sinopec, which is Asia’s biggest refiner, has formally launched a dedicated fuel oil and bunker sales and marketing arm. Sinopec-affiliated refineries have been selling bunkers but they will now have to sell fuel oil to newly established Sinopec Fuel Oil Corp.

Observers see the move as an indication of both the rapid growth of the Chinese bunkering tankers market and also its increasingly competitive nature. The country’s bunker sales were estimated to be about 6.3 million tonnes in 2008, representing a doubling in the previous five years.

New contract for Andatee

Chinese blended marine fuel oil supplier, Andatee China Marine Fuel Services Corp, has secured two separate agreements to supply marine fuel, on an exclusive basis, for a period of 10 years.

The long-term deals are with Haiyu Fishery Limited Corp and Jinghai Group, both located in Shandong Rongcheng City. Under the terms of the agreement with Jinghai, Andatee will supply up to 18,000 tonnes of marine fuel per year. In addition, Andatee will receive the exclusive rights to operate in the Jinghai port area for a period of 10 years for an annual payment of CNY1 million ($146,360) for the first three years.

At the same time, Andatee will supply up to 12,000 tonnes of marine fuel per year to Haiyu and will receive the exclusive rights to operate in the Haiyu port area for a period of 10 years.

EUROPE

New barge for Le Havre

Total Marine Fuels has increased its bunkering capacity at the port of Le Havre and at the Port 2000 container facilities, with the delivery of its new bunkering barge, Cimil. The 4,500 tonne capacity bunker tanker is highly manoeuvrable and can deliver blends and different grades at 500 tph.

Christophe Girardot

Christophe Girardot, general manager Total Marine Fuels, says: “Cimil is a modern and flexible barge which will complement the bunker delivery capacity we have in Le Havre with our current barge ST Sara. It will improve service to our contract clients, mostly liner and cruise operators, while allowing us to offer a replacement to the Antifer pipeline service for bunkering tankers, which is out of service this year. Delivering our full product range at high speed it gives owners calling at Le Havre a new opportunity, especially for 380 cSt fuel. Cimil will also increase our ability to serve spot customers.”

Built in Turkey in 2010 for Swiss company ABC Maritime, Cimil is chartered to Total for three years. It can carry IFO 380, IFO 500, IFO 700 and DML in 10 tanks.

Aegean in Las Palmas

Aegean Marine Petroleum began bunkering operations at Las Palmas, Canary Islands at the beginning of June.

The company says it sees the move as strengthening its position as a leading supplier of marine fuels in the western Atlantic and entrance to the Mediterranean, where it already has bunkering stations in Gibraltar, Tangiers and West Africa.

Aegean plans to offer all grades of marine fuel oil, including MGO 0.1 LSFO. It says ISO8217/2005 specifications are guaranteed. Initially, deliveries will be made by the double-hull vessel Mykonos. Ex-pipe deliveries can be arranged, as well. Another double-hull barge is planned to arrive shortly.

The move into the Las Palmas market follows Aegean’s acquisition of the Shell Las Palmas terminal, which should be finalised by the end of July. Shell Espana is exiting the Las Palmas marine fuel business and all employees of the terminal will be retained by Aegean. “With our agreement to acquire the Shell Las Palmas terminal, Aegean Marine continues to actively consolidate the fragmented marine fuel industry in a disciplined manner that meets a strict set of return criteria,” said Aegean president E. Nikolas Tavlarios.

Tavlarios added: “We also plan to take advantage of the increasing demand for low-sulphur fuel in this sizeable market and utilise the port’s considerable storage facilities to procure large quantities of supply to be on hand in order to serve our customers.”

OW starts North Norway supply

OW Icebunker has established new operations within North Norway, offering customers access to products either in port, at the roads or at sea. The company now has one tanker operating in the Barents Sea and off the coast of Norway. It can also provide fuel in port at Narvik, Hammersfest, Honnigsvåg and Kirkennes, and has access to OW Bunker’s logistics network of over 30 bunkering tankers if necessary. The company can provide customers with all grades of fuel oil up to 380 cSt as well as marine gas oil, and low-sulphur products.

Bunkers will be delivered either with the barge alongside the customer’s vessel or by a stern-line in rougher weather. The company also has a permit to provide customers with products during cargo operations, which it says reduces vessel downtime and increases efficiencies even further.

OW Icebunker’s managing director Per Funch-Nielsen said: “Our aim is to work in partnership with our customers and provide them with the best fuel procurement solution that meets the demands of their business and improves operational efficiencies as well as profitability. Suppliers must have the ability to develop and adapt strategies directly with customers’ needs, based on a fundamental understanding of the challenges that they face. High seas bunkering tankers is a great example of this and saves customers days of time that would otherwise be spent in port, where they would also incur additional costs.”

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Matrix Bharat to supply in Kochi

Singapore-based joint-venture firm Matrix Bharat Marine Fuels (MXB), which opened for business in Mumbai in December last year, is to offer supplies in Kochi in a move that could push its monthly deliveries up to the 15,000 tonnes mark.

The company says that it is looking to supply a minimum of 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes a month by the end of this year at Cochin Oil Terminal and Wellington Island in Kochi (formerly Cochin) in Kerala state. Last year, Kerala state reduced value added tax on bunker products to 0.5%, down from 12.5%. At the time it was hoped that this would bolster sales at Kochi. Cochin Port Trust is developing a multi-user liquid terminal in the Puthuvypeen area to handle bunkers, LPG and crude oil with a planned 2011 project completion date.

Matrix Bharat Marine Fuels (MXB) is a 50/50 joint-venture between Matrix Marine Fuels (MMF), the trading division of German independent oil company Marquard & Bahls, and Indian-based Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). MMF was set up about 15 years ago and has its headquarters in Houston, Texas. In Singapore, MXB has a long-term agreement to use customised tanks and infrastructure at the Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal and delivers bunkers both alongside and by barge.

Government-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation is India’s second largest oil company, with activities covering refining, storing, marketing and distribution of petroleum products, as well as bunkering. One of the factors prompting MXB to supply bunkers at Kochi is that Bharat Petroleum has a refinery there. In addition, the joint venture says that Kochi is well situated on the main shipping lanes.

The MXB initiative is one of a number of new projects that are underway or in the pipeline. Among these is Chemoil Adani’s operation out of, initially, India’s largest private port, Mundra.