Tanker Operations – Bunkering

Crew members hold a pre-bunkering meeting to discuss plans, identify risks, and agree upon a fixed set of operating procedures. Before the bunkering process begins, the Chief Officer must ensure that all persons on board are adequately prepared and have been allocated to their designated job and work area.

The ship's Master and supplier checklist, completed prior to the bunker delivery, includes deciding the procedures for setting up the pipelines, valves and receiving tanks; deciding the order in which the tanks will be consumed; ensuring the supplier knows the type and required amount of fuel to be loaded; and executing a "disconnection" plan on completion of the bunkering operation.

The crew members who play the main roles in the bunkering operation are the Chief Officer, the Master and the Chief Engineer. A "Bunker Supervisor" is a qualified person appointed by the bunker supplier to supervise the operations on behalf of the supplier. The two principal types of bunker fuel oil are distillate fuel and residual fuel. The most common means of communication during bunker operations is VHF radio. Charter types include the demise charter, time charter and voyage charter.

Stringent measures are taken to keep fuel restricted to the designated tanks and pipelines because heavier grade oil is more difficult to clean up after a spill, and because marine fuels are pollutants toxic to marine life. Fire-safety precautions include wearing suitable working protective clothing; keeping all doors to the accommodation areas closed during bunkering and shutting off or recirculating the air-conditioning system; and never entering enclosed spaces that are not approved for entry.

Mistakes in bunkering can result in pollution, imprisonment and high penalties. Oil-spill accidents can happen without any warning, leaving very little time to act. Following an oil spill, the Master should call a meeting to discuss the accident to avoid such accidents in the future, and record the scenario in the ship incident report form. The loading of bunker on board is a vital and critical operation, and everyone involved must take due care to ensure safety and mitigate the risk of an oil spill.

• Pre-bunkering meeting: plans, risks, agreed operating procedures.
• Checklist: pipelines/valves/receiving tanks, tank consumption order, fuel type and amount, disconnection plan.
• Main roles: Chief Officer, Master, Chief Engineer. Bunker Supervisor appointed by the supplier.
• Fuel types: distillate and residual. Comms: VHF radio. Charters: demise, time, voyage.
• Keep fuel in designated tanks/pipelines: heavy oil is hard to clean up and toxic to marine life.
• Fire: protective clothing, accommodation doors closed, AC shut off/recirculated, no unapproved enclosed spaces.
• Mistakes → pollution, imprisonment, penalties. After a spill: meeting + incident report.

1. IMO MARPOL Annex I — prevention of pollution by oil (bunkering and oil-spill response).
2. International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) — bunkering procedures, checklists and fire precautions.