Marine Fuel Testing Services FAQ
Intertek Lintec professionals are ready to help your marine activities run more smoothly and meet environmental, safety and regulatory requirements.
Whether your business is local or global, here is information that can help you with your testing and inspection needs.
Intertek is the trusted provider of quality and safety solutions for many of the world’s leading brands and companies, and Intertek Lintec is the shipping community’s gateway to Intertek’s global network of state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and industry-leading technical expertise.
Intertek Lintec offers bunker quantity surveys and laboratory services to the shipping community, including the analysis of bunker fuel, lubricants, firefighting foam, water and effluents.
We are also able to access specialists in corrosion analysis, electrical testing, auditing, certification and consulting services from our experienced and world-renowned teams.
Intertek Lintec’s fuel testing kits contain enough equipment for twelve bunkerings; i.e. ,36 bottles, unique seal numbered caps and 12 mailers.
Please note that Intertek Lintec’s fuel testing kits include 12 extra bottles, caps, labels and a logbook to allow vessels to remain compliant with the MARPOL Annex VI regulations.
Yes, Intertek Lintec can supply cubitainers. In fact, we supply everything necessary to take a sample of fuel.
Our standard cubitainers have a 5l capacity, are offered in boxes of 24 and are compatible with drip samplers from other suppliers.
Yes, at Intertek Lintec we do supply manifold drip samplers. In fact, we supply everything necessary to take a sample of fuel.
In order to supply the correct size sampler we would need to know the following:
(i) Nominal pipe size
(ii) Pitch circle diameter
(iii) Bolt hole diameter
Included in the sample kits we supply to the ships is a supply request form. Simply complete this form and send it back to us. We will then make the necessary arrangements to deliver the supplies to the ship.
Please allow at least five working days for delivery if possible.
Alternatively, you can email the Logistics Department or call +44 1325 390 180 to order a sample kit.
Like other service providers, Intertek Lintec issues bunker alerts.
These are issued, for example, when a trend of off – specification results from a particular bunker port is identified.
We take the view that this information is the property of Intertek Lintec’s clients and is not the property of Intertek Lintec, consequently Intertek Lintec’s bunker alerts are distributed to Intertek Lintec clients only – they are not issued on a general basis.
Too often, bunker alerts are issued without due caution being exercised. This can result in the unjustified tarnishing of a particular bunker location, unnecessary (and often expensive) precautions being taken by the ship owner and the dilution of the effect of bunker alerts.
Intertek Lintec takes a cautious view on bunker alerts, and careful consideration is given to whether or not the observed trend can be accounted for by any other reason.
Intertek Lintec takes the view that exercising caution is in the best interest of Intertek Lintec’s clients, the fuel supplier and Intertek Lintec.
The pre-testing service offered by Intertek Lintec enables the quality of fuel to be known prior to delivery to the vessel.
The fuel purchaser can then decide whether to accept the fuel, or request the supplier to provide an alternative bunker stem.
Using this service ensures that off-specification fuel is not delivered to the vessel and minimises the need for costly de-bunkerings.
The key points of this service are:
- The surveyor and Intertek Lintec personnel remain in contact with the supplier to ensure that there are no delays.
- Samples are transported to the laboratory where a volumetric composite of all tanks sampled is prepared.
- This composite sample is analysed by Intertek Lintec to an abbreviated version of ISO 8217:2005 or ISO 8217:2012, using modified Intertek Lintec test methods.
- Analysis normally takes between 4- 6 hours, although this may be extended if parameters are found to fail to meet the specification.
- Results are reported to the vessel, and/or client, before the barge commences pumping to the vessel, so that the quality of fuel designated for that client vessel is known prior to bunkering.
- In most cases, barges are instructed by the supplier to wait for Intertek Lintec results prior to commencement of pumping operations.
- Sampling of the barge is a critical part of the operation as non-representative samples affect quality.
- The Intertek Lintec surveyor is instructed to follow the Intertek Lintec sampling procedure.
