What are the key steps in a safe bunkering operation?

Bunkering is a high-risk routine operation because a spill is simultaneously a pollution offence, a fire hazard and a commercial dispute, so it runs to a strict, agreed procedure from start to finish. Before anything flows, the responsible officer and the supplier hold a pre-transfer conference and agree the plan in writing: grade and quantity, which tanks in which sequence, the maximum transfer rate, topping-off rates and final levels, and the exact signals for slow down and stop. The ship's bunkering checklist is completed and signed by both parties, and the crew involved are briefed so everyone knows their station and the emergency stop.

On deck the preparation is physical and visible: all scuppers plugged, save-alls and drip trays under the manifold and vents, unused manifold connections fully blanked, the SOPEP spill kit broken out and ready, and the hose inspected and properly supported with enough slack for tide and freeboard change. A dedicated radio channel is tested between ship and barge or shore, fire-fighting equipment is laid out, and no smoking or hot work is permitted anywhere near the operation.

During the transfer the watch never leaves the operation unattended. Tank soundings or gauges are monitored continuously and cross-checked against the agreed sequence, rates are reduced well before topping off, and the hose, manifold and the water around the ship are watched for any sign of a leak. Topping off is the danger window when most spills happen, so it is done slowly, one tank at a time, with the barge warned in good time. Never rely on the barge's figures alone for when to stop.

At completion, lines are drained back before disconnection, blanks are refitted, and the quantity received is verified by soundings and calculations against the bunker delivery note, with temperature and density taken into account. A representative sample must be drawn throughout the transfer by continuous drip at the receiving manifold, sealed and signed by both parties; the sealed MARPOL sample is retained on board and the bunker delivery note kept available for inspection. If quantity is short or the fuel appears off-specification, the master issues a letter of protest and the samples become the evidence, so treat sampling as seriously as the transfer itself.

Afterward, keep the new fuel segregated until analysis confirms it is fit for use where the company requires it. A disciplined bunkering is unremarkable from outside, and that is precisely the point.