Fuel testing service DNVPS says that commercial samples indicate a general reduction in the number of samples exceeding 3.50% m/m sulphur.

The study covers HFO samples (excluding low sulphur fuel samples) representing heavy fuel oils bunkered in the two-week period between 21 January and 3 February 2012. The samples cover all viscosity grades.

DNVPS reports that about 24% of the samples containing more than 3.50% sulphur have viscosity above 420cSt at 50°C. Worldwide, 2.4% of the samples contained more than 3.50% m/m sulphur compared to 2.7% in week 03/2012. The company remarks that ARA is the area with the highest percentage of samples being supplied with sulphur concentrations above 3.50% m/m. Rotterdam had 18.8%, Antwerp 11.1%  and no samples tested with more than 3.50% m/m sulphur from
Amsterdam.

Compared to the first week of 2012, Rotterdam has seen an improvement while Singapore has seen a significant drop, to 2.7%, in the number of samples tested with more than 3.50% m/m sulphur, compared to 6.0% found in week 03/2012.

Hong Kong's resulted have varied sharply. It started the year with a high number of samples representing fuels supplied with more than 3.50% m/m sulphur. There were none in week 3/2012. However, in the last two weeks, 22.7% of the samples contained sulphur above 3.50% m/m.

Due to the low number of tested fuel samples from the Italian port Augusta but, looking at all Augusta fuel samples representing fuel supplied from 1 January to 3 February 2012, 85.7% of the samples contained more than 3.50% m/m sulphur.

DNVPS has again reminded owners that the official MARPOL sample provided by the supplier is the governing sample regarding compliance with this statutory requirement. It recommends that ships receiving apparently non-compliant fuels record the situation through a note of protest.

Source: World Bunkering