The shipping industry has previously faced problems with bunker contamination due to the presence of catalytic fines and is again experiencing similar issues. The culprit this time has been identified as phenols and fatty acids.
One theory is that these contaminants originate from refineries in the US Gulf. Irrespective of the origin, the contaminants have now been found in bunkers supplied as far as Singapore. The issues are compounded by the unavailability of competent testing facilities, the high cost of bunker analysis and long waiting times.
See attached file: Bunker contamination: the importance of timely intervention.pdf
燃油污染：及时干预的重要性
航运业现再次遇到与曾经因催化剂粉末的存在而造成燃料污染相类似的问题。而这次的罪魁祸首是酚类和脂肪酸。
一种理论认为，这些污染物源自美国海湾地区的炼油厂。不管污染物源自哪里，现在已经在远至新加坡的燃料供应中发现了污染物。由于缺乏合格的测试设施,及高额的燃油分析费用和较长的等待时间使得这些问题变得更加复杂。
详细信息请参阅附件。
