BUNKERING PROCEDURE

MADE BY GROUP 2
Purnama Putra
Muhammad
Malikal Rohman Firdaus
Rizky Pratama
Muhammad Sayakfika Ahadianto
Ranets Mamondole
Procedure for Bunkering Operation on
a Ship
Bunkering procedure is one such operation on a ship which has been the reason for several
accidents in the past. Bunkering on a ship can be of fuel oil, sludge, diesel oil, cargo etc.
Bunkering of fuel or diesel oil requires utmost care and alertness to prevent any kind of fire
accident or oil spill.

In this article we will learn about the bunkering procedure on a ship and what are the important
points that are to be taken into consideration while bunkering.

What Does The Word “Bunker” Mean?

The word “Bunker” is used extensively in defence forces and is used to define an area to store
and safeguard personnel and supplies (such as fuel, ammunition, food etc.). It was derived from
a Scottish word “Bunk” which means a reserved seat or bench.

In the shipping industry, the word bunker is used for fuel and lube oils, which are stored on a
ship and used for machinery operation only. If a vessel is carrying marine fuel or lube oil to
discharge it to another port, it will not be called “bunker”. If the vessel or truck is carrying it to
transfer to another ship for using in its machinery, it will be termed as “bunker” and the
operation performed to transport the oil is known as “bunkering”.

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Hence, bunker fuel or bunker oil on a vessel are marine fuel/ lube oils which are carried on
separate storage tanks, popularly known as bunker tanks for consumption in ship’s machinery.

Types of Bunker Fuel:

When the ship receives any kind of oil for using it in its machinery it is called a bunker fuel or
bunker oil. Following are different types of bunkers which are supplied to a commercial or
passenger vessel:

– Heavy fuel oil bunker

– Diesel oil bunker

– Marine Gas oil bunker

– Lube oil bunker

– LNG fuel bunker

Ways to receive Marine fuel Bunker

The bunker fuel can be supplied to a cargo ship in different ways. The mode or method may
vary depending upon the grade or type of fuel being delivered to the vessel. There can be
different types of bunkering facilities which supply the required marine fuel or lube oil to the
ship. A small barge or ship carrying bunker fuel can be used to transfer marine fuel oil (such as
heavy fuel oil) to the vessel. If the quantity of oil is less (e.g. lube oil or MGO, LNG etc.), it can
be supplied to the vessel using trucks.

Bunkering Operation Procedure

The bunkering procedure on a ship can be divided into three important stages:

1. Preparation– Preparing for the bunkering operation which will involve the readiness of
bunkering equipment, storage tanks and bunkering safety
2. Perform– Performing the bunkering operation in real time as per the pre-decided
procedure and receiving the marine fuel according to the bunker plan
3. Wrap-up– Wrapping up the bunkering operation with utmost safety and ensuring the
correct amount and quality of bunker fuel has been received onboard from the bunkering
facilities (bunker ship or shore truck etc.)

Before Bunkering Operation

1. The chief engineer should calculate and check which bunker oil tanks are to be filled after
he/she receives confirmation
from the shore office about
the amount of fuel to be
accepted.

2. It might be required to
empty some tanks and
transfer the oil from one tank
to other. This is required to
prevent the mixing of two oils and prevent incompatibility between the previous oil and the new
oil.

3. The sounding of other fuel storage tank (not be used in bunkering operation) should also be
taken to keep a record of fuel already present onboard. This will help the ship’s officer in case
any valve is leaking, and the bunker oil is being transferred to the unwanted tank.

4. A meeting should be held between the members that will take part in the bunkering process,
and they should be explained about the following:-

 Which tanks are to be filled

 Sequence order of tanks to be filled
 How much bunker oil is to be taken
 Bunkering safety procedures
 Emergency procedure in case oil spill occurs
 Responsibilities of each officer are explained

5. Sounding is taken before bunkering and record is made

6. A checklist is to be filled so that nothing is missed

7. All deck scuppers and save all trays are plugged

8. An overflow tank is provided in the engine room which is connected to the bunker tank and
bunker line. Ensure the overflow tank is kept empty to transfer excess fuel from the bunker tanks

9. Adequate lighting at the bunker and sounding position are to be provided

10. No smoking notice should be positioned near the bunkering station

11. Onboard communication, signs, and signals to stop the operation between the people
involved in bunkering are to be understood by all the crew involved in the operation.

12. Red flag/light is presented on the masthead

13. Opposite side bunker manifold valves are closed and appropriately blanked

14. Vessel draught and trim is recorded before bunkering

15. All equipment in SOPEP(shipboard oil pollution emergency plan) locker are checked and
kept near the bunkering station

16. When bunker ship or barge is secured to the ship side, the person in charge on the barge is
also explained about the bunker plan

17. Bunker supplier’s paperwork is checked for the oil’s grade and the density if they are as per
the specification

18. The pumping rate of the bunker fuel is agreed with the bunker barge/ bunker truck
19. The hose is then connected to the manifold. The condition of the hose must be checked
properly by the ship staff and if it is not satisfactory, same to be notified to the chief engineer

20. Most of the bunker supplier send there crew to connect the bunker oil pipeline coming from
bunker ship/ barge. The ship staff must recheck the flange connection to eliminate the doubt of
any leakage

21. Once the connection is made, the chief engineer will ensure all the line valves which will
lead the bunker fuel to the selected bunker tanks are open, keeping the main manifold valve shut

22. Proper communication between

the barge and the ship is to be
established

23. Sign and signals are to be

followed as discussed in case of
communication during an emergency

24. Most bunkering facilities (ship/

barge/ terminal/ truck etc.) provide an
emergency stop switch which
controls the bunkering supply pump.
Ensure to check its working before
commencing the operation

25. Once all the checks are done, the

manifold valve is open for bunkering

Before Bunkering
Operation Checklist

During Bunkering
Procedure
1. During the start of the bunker, the
pumping rate is kept low; this is done
to check that the oil is coming to the
tank to which the valve is opened

2. The ship staff must track

the sounding of selected bunkering
tank and other tanks which are not
involved in the operation to ensure oil
is only going to the selected tank

3. After confirming the oil is coming

to the proper tank, the pumping rate
is increased as agreed before
4. Generally, only one tank filling is preferred because gauging of more than one tank at a time
increases the chances of overflow

5. The max allowable to which tank is filled is 90 %, and when the tank level reaches about to
maximum level, the barge is told to pump at low pumping rate to top up the tank, and then the
valve of other tank is opened

6. During bunkering, sounding is taken regularly and the frequency of sounding is more when
the tank is near to full. Many vessels have tank gauges which show tank level in the control
room, but this is only to be relied upon if the system is working correctly.

7. The temperature of the bunker oil is also to be checked; generally, the barge or supplier will
provide the bunker temperature. Temperature is a critical parameter, especially for bunker fuel
such as heavy fuel oil, and any deviation in the provided temperature value may lead to a
shortfall in bunker supply

8. A continuous sample is taken during bunkering with the help of sampling cock at the
manifold

9. The crew needs to switch (open and close the valves) the internal storage tanks to
accommodate the quantity of the bunker oil being supplied. Utmost precaution needs to be taken
when opening the other storage tank valve and closing the valve of the tank which is reaching
the maximum fill limit.

During Bunkering Operation Checklist

After Bunkering Procedure: Wrap-up
1. Once the bunker is finished, it is a general practice to air blow the bunkering supply line for
discharging all the oil trapped in the pipelines. At this stage, ensure all sounding pipe caps are
closed and keep a watch on those storage tank vents which are at its maximum limit.

2. Avoid opening the bunkering supply line connecting between bunker ship and receiving
manifold. In case of any discrepancy, the supplier may agree to compensate the shortfall and
may resume bunkering operation

3. Draught and trim of the ship is checked

4. Take sounding of all the tanks bunkered

5. The volume bunkered should be corrected for trim, heel and temperature correction

6. In general, for each degree of increase in temperature the density should be reduced by 0.64
kg/m3.

7. Four samples are taken during bunkering. One is kept onboard, one for the bunker ship or
barge, one for analysis, one for port state or IMO

8. The chief engineer will sign the bunker receipt (BDN) and the amount of bunker received

9. If there is any shortfall of bunker received the chief engineer can issue a note of
protest against the barge/supplier (in case the deficit is not agreed by the bunker supplier)

10. After everything is settled, the hose connection is removed

11. The sample is sent for laboratory analysis

12. The chief engineer will make the entry of the operation in oil record book along with
received BDN 

12. The new bunker should not be used until the report from the lab
After Bunkering Procedure Checklist