Pre-delivery Fuel Oil Documentation

The purpose of the pre-delivery document is to record agreement on the operational details of the transfer and to ensure safe
transfer of the product. This document originates from the sellers representative and states the grade or grades with the nominated
quantity. Ideally the grades will be expressed by reference to ISO 8217, which defines viscosity for residual fuel oil grades at
50C. Distillate grades, instead of being referenced as DMA or DMB may be referred to as marine gas oil or marine diesel.
Having established what is to be transferred, agreement has to be reached on the pumping rate acceptable to the receiving vessel to
ensure safe transfer. The next aspect to be considered is witnessing of tanks by sounding or ullage and the approach to this is
detailed later in this section. Agreement should be reached on the witnessing of a representative sample and this again is detailed
later. The spill prevention transfer procedure must also be discussed and agreed. The key to this is communication and a checklist
can be useful to ensure no points are missed

Bunker Delivery Note (BDN)

The purpose of the Bunker Delivery Note (BDN or Bunker Delivery Receipt, BDR) is to record
what has been transferred. MARPOL Annex VI requires the following details to be included:
Name and IMO Number of receiving ship
Port
Date of commencement of delivery
Name, address, and telephone number of marine fuel oil supplier
Product name(s)
Quantity in metric tons
Density at 15oC, kg/m3
Sulphur content (%m/m)
In addition the BDN will include:
Temperature of product delivered
Sample seal numbers
The MARPOL BDN must also have a signed declaration by the fuel oil suppliers representative
that the fuel oil is a blend of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum refining that:
Meets applicable sulphur limits
Is free from inorganic acid
Does not include any added substance or chemical waste that:
Jeopardizes the safety of ships or adversely affects the performance of the
machinery,
Is harmful to personnel, or
Contributes overall to additional air pollution
Alternatively, in the case that the fuel oil is derived by methods other than petroleum refining,
as well as meeting the above conditions it must not:
Cause an engine to exceed the applicable NOx emission limit
Care should be taken before signing the BDN. For example, the bunkers should not be
signed for in weight form, only for volume at observed temperature. The actual weight
can only be calculated after a representative sample of the delivery has been tested for
density.
MARPOL Annex VI requires the BDN to be retained for at least 3 years from the date of
issue.
Letter of Protest (should anything go wrong)
Should there be any dispute in the quantity of bunkers delivered, the purchaser or his
representative should issue a letter of protest, which is properly signed and stamped by both
parties. An example of such a letter is shown below. The barge or fuel oil supplier as well as
the ship owner or engine operator can use the letter of protest system.
Bunkering Check List
Bunkering is often carried out when the engineering staff are under pressure in both time and
manpower. Key checks are often missed and only come to light when it is too late. A few
relevant points are detailed below:
The purchaser should obtain specification acceptance from the supplier
Purchaser needs to advise ships staff what grade of fuel will be delivered and how
transferred
Fuels from different deliveries should be segregated as far as practical
All receiving tanks need to be gauged prior to taking fuel

 Dont sign any documentation unless you have witnessed the actual event
Always take up witness offers made by the supplier
If the origin and method by which a suppliers sample was obtained is unknown then
sign for it adding the words for receipt only - source unknown
Wherever possible always take fuel samples using a continuous drip method throughout
the bunkering at the point of delivery on the receiving ship i.e. as close as practical to
the hose connection
At least four-five samples will be required for each barge/delivery/fuel grade:
a. The official MARPOL sample which the Port State Control Officer (PSCO) may be
required to be analysed. Note the MARPOL sample must be a minimum of 400ml and be
retained for at least 12 months.
b. The vessels own retained sample
c. A sample for laboratory analysis
d. A sample for onboard analysis
e. A sample for the supplier
f. Note further samples may need to be provided for any retained bunker surveyors
Sign the BDN for volume only, if necessary adding the words for volume only - weight
to be determined after density tests
Ensure good records are kept throughout the bunkering
Keep accurate engine logs in the event of any subsequent problems
Keep bunkering fuel samples for at least 12 months
Use on-site tests to check all fuel on delivery for Viscosity, Density, Water, Stability,
Pour Point and Salt (if water present)
Use a laboratory to check results in the event of any discrepancies being indicated by
on-site test equipment.
The master or crew should document any instance of the bunker fuel delivery note or
representative sample not being in compliance with the relevant regulations
It is also recommended that if laboratory analysis shows sulphur levels to be outside of
regulatory limits the vessels flag administration, the bunker port administration and
fuel supplier are notified
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BUNKER delivery note
Clause 18 of MARPOL annex VI requires that all fuel oil taken by a ship must be accompanied by a bunker delivery note. The
form of the bunker delivery note is described in appendix V to annex VI.
Bunker delivery note checklist
Name and IMO number of receiving ship.
Port.
Date of commencement of delivery.
Name, address and telephone number of the supplier.
Product names.
Quantity (t).
Density at 15C ( test method ISO 3675).
Sulphur content percentage (test method ISO 8754).
Declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil suppliers representative that the fuel oil supplied conforms with MARPOL annex
VI regulations .
The bunker delivery note should be kept on board the ship in such a place as to be readily available for inspection at all reasonable
times. It should be retained for a period of three years after the fuel has been delivered on board.
Clause 18 of MARPOL annex VI also requires that the bunker delivery note must be accompanied by a representative sample of
fuel oil sealed and signed by the supplier.
The bunker delivery note is signed by the bunker barge master and the chief engineer or master of the ship receiving fuel oil. It is
usually stamped with the official stamp of the ship and/or barge. Because the chief engineer does not have access to an accurate,
laboratory-determined fuel density figure (this will be ascertained by laboratory analysis of the bunker sample), the bunker
delivery note should only be completed using figures for the volume of fuel oil loaded. Indeed, the engineer should only sign any
documentation stating for volume at observed temperature only as there can be no certainty of any weight figures for the fuel
loaded.
Non-compliant ports
If fuel oil is taken in a state that has not ratified MARPOL annex VI, the supplier is not required to issue a bunker delivery note
that complies with MARPOL requirements. However, the ship may require suitable documentation to satisfy port state control
officers at subsequent ports.The recommended procedure when such a situation arises is that the master should notify the port

state authorities at the port where the fuel oil was taken, and the ships flag state, and keep a copy of such notification on board to
produce to officials at
subsequent port state inspections.
A draft letter of notification is given in Appendix II of this guide. A bunker delivery note and representative fuel sample should be
obtained whenever possible