World Bunkering > News > Spring 2011 > Editor's Letter

David Hughes"

This issue coincides with the IBIA dinner, which has attracted the most attendees ever. This issue of World Bunkering is also noticeably large and packed with information, in some cases on issues we haven’t really looked at before.

That is not true though of Fuel Quantity, something we will always be returning to. This issue looks at the development of Coriolis flow meters. The message seems to be: “Almost there, just a bit more work to do.”

The same could perhaps be said for aspects of the bunker industry in the Indian subcontinent, which we feature. It surely can’t be too long before Hambantota is a familiar name in global bunker industry circles.

Maybe it will be some time, though, before Sri Lanka’s new port will challenge Fujairah as a bunker hub. This issue both previews the upcoming Fujcon conference and surveys the UAE scene. Our IT feature looks at how enterprise planning systems can help shipowners deal with the complexities of ordering fuel when trading in and out of ECAs.

Despite some disappointing results in recent months, the big bunker traders have continued to expand their geographical reach. We take a look at who’s moved where. The bunker scene in Northern Europe continues to develop in response to the introduction of tighter regulations, leading both shipowners and port authorities to look at innovative solutions, including the use of LNG.

The past three months have been busy ones on the environmental front and we catch up on the situation post-Cancún. So what are the unusual areas this time, you may ask. Well, we have two articles on important issues for the bunker industry that rarely get an airing: insurance, and sale and purchase. On insurance we take an in-depth look at how the Shipowner’s P&I Club covers most of the Singapore barge fleet. On the bunker barge S&P market we have an article from specialist broker Evgeny Dolgikh.

There is something else special about this issue. It will be the last one for deputy editor, Lucy Budd, who has secured the prestigious post of editor of the Nautical Institute’s journal Seaways. For the next issue well known shipping journalist Sandra Speares joins us as deputy editor. All three of us, however, will be at the IBIA dinner and look forward to seeing many of you there.