Aramco Marine Dept.
QACU
FUEL MANAGEMENT PLANS CONTRACTED FLEET PRESENTATION
MARCH 2023
Saudi Aramco: Public
Table of Contents
Introduction 02
Slide 1,2, 3 04
Slide 4, 5, 6 05
Slide 7, 8, 9 06
Slide 10,11,12 07
Slide 13,14, 15 08
Slide 16, 17 09
Slide 18, 19, 20 10
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Introduction
The following compulsory requirements are necessary in response to recent occurrences offshore which have
highlighted and emphasized a significant shortcoming in basic industry standard Marine Engineering ‘best
practices’ employed within the Offshore Contracted Vessel Fleet.
One of the major critical processes conducted on a daily basis within Saudi Aramco Offshore Concessionary
area is the transport, storage, treatment and pumping of marine gas oil fuel. This vital supply chain from
port facilities to consumer ensures that offshore installations and vessels are supplied with the essential fuel
bunkers to allow them to operate their propulsion and electrical generating equipment.
This is where the Contracted Vessel Fleet provides the business continuity support by ensuring a seamless
logistics network delivering the fuel cargo as, when and where required determined by customer demand.
When delivered to a ship from a shoreside SA facility, the quality of fuel is compliant with ISO8217 which is
an International Standard stipulating acceptable characteristics of marine fuel oil products. This quality
assurance benchmark ensures fuel specification worldwide is delivered within tolerable limits defining
maximum and minimum levels of distinct fuel constituents.
Once the specification compliant fuel has been delivered from a shoreside SA bunkering facility, it is the
responsibility of the supply vessel to ensure quality control on board and that the standard of the fuel grade
is maintained.
To accomplish this, Contractor vessels are expected to conduct the requisite maintenance and engineering
controls whilst transporting, storing, pumping and delivering the fuel cargo on board. As per industry
standard procedures, the vessel is therefore required to formulate and instigate a FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN
that follows industry ‘best practices’ which includes scheduling routine tasks, conducting the obligatory
maintenance tasks and recording of the relevant data into the on board planned maintenance system.
The FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN should include (dependent on vessel configuration) task appropriate routines
such as;-
• Draining FO settling and service tank drain cocks to monitor for water and/or contaminants on a
regular daily basis.
• Conduct fuel storage tank usage rotation using the ‘FIRST IN – FIRST OUT’ principle.
• FO tank cleaning and inspection should be performed as required and stipulated by contractor
company or statutory requirements. If suspicion or evidence of fuel contamination is witnessed, then
the frequency of cleaning should be increased.
• Operate fuel purification systems with optimal running parameters for back pressure and flow rate.
Port Engineers must ensure on board Technical Staff are familiar with efficient and effective purifier
function. Correct and sufficient stock levels of spare parts and tools are to be maintained.
• Regular inspection of fuel tank sounding pipes and air vents to be conducted. Special attention to be
made with regards to penetrations at deck level, sounding pipe caps/threads/seals, routine
maintenance of vent non-return valve arrangement and screen mesh flame preventer and ensure any
tank lids are firmly secured with a suitable gasket fitted.
• Conduct scheduled testing of the fuel tank contents for water and/or microbial contamination. This
can be achieved either through water finding paste when taking manual tank soundings or through
the use of microbiological dipslides.
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• Perform routine dosing of fuel storage tanks with recommended quantities of Biocide Chemical as
mitigation measures to microbe infection. If not, the vessel is recommended to have access to
Biocide in order that shock dosing is required incase of positive results upon dipslide testing.
• The fuel bunkering procedure should be conducted through correctly maintained system filtration. If
operations allow, ‘bunkering on top’ of partially full tanks should be avoided to prevent ‘new’ fuel
mixing with ‘old’ fuel.
• Planned maintenance systems should be populated with aforementioned maintenance tasks and
historic reports retained for future reference.
Evidences of a FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN will be verified during on board QACU inspections and evidences of
proactive measures obtained.
As per Marine Director instructions, vessels not complying with requirements will be prohibited in the future
from transferring fuel to any offshore installation or vessel.
You are therefore requested to present the ‘FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN’ Powerpoint Presentation to your
fleet.
This is the identical presentation delivered by QACU on Skype early March 2023 to all Contractor Companies
representatives.
Guidance;-
• To transition from one slide to the next press the “space bar”
• Each slide is automatically formulated to reveal the slide as the associated dialogue is being
delivered. (You are only required to press the space bar to change to the next slide and not during
the slide).
• The target audience is the Technical Staff if your fleet. However, all Senior Officers should attend
• The dialogue provided in the following is to be used as a guide so that a consistent message is
delivered to each and every Contractor company
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SLIDE 1
The purpose of the presentation today is to discuss and raise awareness of the necessity to employ and follow
critical maintenance procedures on board your ships.
The topic being discussed today is something that should be very familiar to all of us here as Marine
Engineers and shouldn’t require too much explanation…… and today we will be discussing the necessity and
requirements for FUEL MANAGEMENT PLANS on board your vessels
SLIDE 2
In other words, we are referring to fuel treatment, fuel handling and fuel storage on board your ships.
When fuel is supplied from Aramco facilities, it is delivered at a certain quality that complies with
International Specification and that is ISO8217
However, unfortunately, what WE here today may know with regards to this subject of Fuel Management is
not being replicated offshore in practice. Very often when Aramco QACU conduct various inspections they
are witnessing neglect and even ignorance of the basic requirements of fuel management……. this can lead
to degradation of fuel quality which your ships may then be further transferring onto Aramco offshore assets
or offloading to other 3rd party contracted vessels by ship to ship transfer.
So, what is required is from you is that industry ‘best practices’ are applied on board your vessels to ensure
the fuel being handled from position A to position B is being taken care of in a professional fashion ensuring
the fuel quality is sustained throughout the transporting process from source.
SLIDE 3
OK – FUEL MANAGEMENT - Why are we talking about this?
Recently we have witnessed several instances where fuel being transferred from ship to ship has been
delivered contaminated for one reason or another due to the handling and storage procedures employed on
board the delivery ship.
This has resulted in severe operational disruption on board the receiving installations with regards to their
propulsion and their electrical generating machinery.
Around the world, there are many well documented cases of vessels floundering, blacking out or even running
aground due to issues with so called ‘bad’ fuel.
In every case we have experienced here in Kingdom where contaminated fuel has been a root cause,
employing basic fuel treatment, fuel handling and fuel storage ‘best practices’ would have prevented each
and every occurrence.
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SLIDE 4
So obviously the fundamental aim of a fuel management plan is to ensure optimal fuel quality is maintained
during bunkering, transport, pumping and the eventual combustion of marine fuel.
Here In Aramco, the gas oil supplied to the vessels is of the highest quality as per ISO8217. The gas oil used
on the Aramco owned vessels is from the same source as the gas oil used on the contracted vessels.
However, if not correctly treated and managed on board the vessels, the gas oil can easily become the root
cause of serious incidents.
SLIDE 5
So what contamination are we talking about? If we don’t know what causes the problems then we cannot
effectively resolve or control them.
Well, as per previous slides that have been shown, number 1 is the most obvious and common problem given
the fact that it is ships working at sea………and that’s water.
Where is the water coming from – well, potentially from several different areas – condensation inside the
tanks, damaged fuel sounding pipes or vents on decks, faulty operation of fuel purifiers or even from
damaged tanks.
Diesel and gasoil fuels are hygroscopic, therefore the fuel will absorb and hold water at a molecular level.
The amount of water absorbed will vary with temperature, air humidity and biodiesel content. Water will
start to form droplets when the fuel reaches the maximum saturation percentage.
These droplets sink to the bottom of the tank collecting in pools along with condensation or other water.
This is when problems occur. As this layer of water increases over time, the level may reach the outlet of
the tank, causing severe issues and damage to machinery resulting in breakdowns.
SLIDE 6
Following on from that - The free water collecting at the bottom of the tank will allow the formation and
growth of microbes leading to microbial contamination. These microbes feed on the hydrocarbon fuel and
create a by-product of mud and sludge along with acids and gums.
This causes rapid oxidisation of the diesel and allows the contaminants to block filters and increase wear in
the fuel injection system.
The blocking of filters as shown on the slide is more commonly known as FILTER PLUGGING.
Fuel microbe contaminants can also be directly linked to fuel instability and tank corrosion due to the acidic
properties of the microbial action
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SLIDE 7
The other most common fuel contaminant is solids.
This may come from inorganic debris such as sand, dust or even rust from tank structure or piping systems.
Also, organic debris is possible and this is due to the by-product of fuel breakdown due to microbes and the
waste products of fuel deterioration
This last slide photo here was a tank inspected in-Kingdom recently. You can see some solid deposits on the
tank bottom here.
SLIDE 8
So what does all this mean and what does Aramco require you as contractors to do to ensure the provision of
uncontaminated fuel on board your vessels?
Well, this is where the fuel management plan comes in. This is basic engineering and best industry working
practices that vessels should be employing anyway. There is nothing new here.
Aramco need to ensure the supplied fuel on board the vessels is being handled, treated and stored correctly.
This is to ensure any fuel used on board or transferred ship to ship is as per original ISO 8217 specification
that was delivered originally at source at the quayside.
This is to prevent operational losses and potential vessel and crew casualties due to machinery failure.
This requires you as the Contractor to formulate and execute the required Fuel Management Plans suitable
for your vessels
So how is this achievable? It’s simple really through planned maintenance, inspections and the associated
record keeping. Basic Marine Engineering
We will now look at some examples of the tasks expected to be included in a Fuel Management Plan
SLIDE 9
let’s start with the fuel tanks themselves.
Inspections and cleaning are normally tied in with Class inspections and this is normally either in drydock or
during the intermediate surveys every 2 and a half years.
Obviously if suspicion or evidence of fuel contamination is witnessed, then the frequency of cleaning should
be increased.
The vessels planned maintenance system should include details of the relevant tasks to be conducted and
also all inspection reports and photos uploaded into the system.
(PITTING PHOTO) Microbial contamination in fuel tanks is highly acidic and hence corrosive. Special
attention should be paid for any Microbiologically influenced Corrosion or MIC as it is known. This can be
spotted in way of tank surface pitting. The last photo on the slide shows the effects of the acidic corrosion.
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SLIDE 10
Tank rotation is also extremely important as well. Due to the fact that gas oil is a biological living organism,
it means it has a shelf life.
Therefore fuel tank use should be rotated and First In – First Out cycle practiced.
If possible, it is preferred if the full tank is used each time and only unpumpables left in the tank prior to
bunkering into it.
This will ensure there is as small a quantity of “old” or degraded fuel remaining in the tank as possible and
therefore less mixing with the new fresh fuel being bunkered
SLIDE 11
Visual monitoring the tanks for water or contaminants is important. This can be done through the routine
draining of settling or service tank through the designated cocks.
This should be conducted every engineering watch and recorded in the official log books.
If required, any watch routine checklists or Chief Engineer Standing Orders should be updated to include these
requirements.
This is the first and foremost basic defence and checks for contamination of fuel
SLIDE 12
Another useful tool employed with comprehensive fuel management procedures is routine testing for water
or microbial contamination.
The most straightforward way is using water finding paste on a sounding tape down the sounding pipe when
taking tank dips. Simple but effective.
Another way is through the use of dip slides. Instigating a monthly routine to take a set of dip slides from the
drain of the FO settling and service tanks will monitor for microbes.
Dip slides are cheap and easy to use.
Landing samples of fuel from the storage tanks on a regular basis to a laboratory can also provide a very
accurate fuel condition assessment.
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SLIDE 13
Another effective tool for fuel treatment and conditioning is Chemical addition such as Biocide. Once again,
this can be employed as a routine monthly planned maintenance job where all the fuel tanks on board the
ship are dosed with biocide and this is normally completed on a monthly basis. This is performed as a
precautionary measure to try and combat bacteria forming in the very first place.
If not done as a routine, it is advisable to carry biocide on board in case fuel microbial contamination is
noted through the taking of dip slides. It is then possible that the tanks can be given an initial shock
treatment dose as per chemical manufacturers recommendations.
SLIDE 14
A purifier or clarifier may also provide an excellent way of polishing fuel and may also provide indication of
water contamination.
However, the purifier is an often misused and abused finely balanced and precision engineered piece of
equipment on board ships.
There are a quite few deficiencies QACU come across when making inspections on ships and Number 1 is…..
• Human Error – quite often ships staff are not fully aware of how to operate a purifier efficiently.
They are also unaware of how to identify and resolve operational problems.
• One of the other biggest faults with purifiers is incorrect maintenance practices swhich can lead
to more problems than they fix.
• Another fault we find is back pressure or flow rate. The back pressure should be adjusted to provide
the correct water/fuel interface in the purifier. The flow rate should be adjusted as low as possible
to allow as much contact time in the purifier for polishing the fuel.
• Also, the availability of spare parts for the purifier can be an issue. Vessels should ensure the basic
kits are available on board.
• Correct tools…… many vessels do not have the correct job specific tools on board or they are
missing.
SLIDE 15
This is a very critical but very often overlooked part of the fuel system.
One of the most common sources of water ingress into a ships fuel system is through the tank sounding pipes
and tank vents.
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Sounding pipe caps are frequently left untightened or even left off all together. The threads of the cap or
plug are often corroded or damaged. Seals for the caps are frequently found missing or broken.
All penetration of pipes and vents at main deck level should be examined carefully for corrosion to inspect
for holes and the possibility of water on deck entering the tank.
The vessels planned maintenance system should have routine checks and overhaul maintenance for both the
tank vents and sounding pipes.
The last 2 photos here on the slide were taken on board a vessel in-kingdom recently. The sounding pipe is
recessed into the main deck so it will collect water like a puddle. As can be seen, the threads in the pipe for
the cap were completely corroded and the cap could not be tightened.
SLIDE 16
Last but not least as part of the fuel management plan, we can instigate checks and provide actions when the
fuel is coming on board. Basically, ensure the source of fuel is suitable.
The vessel must ensure any bunkering filtration is set-up in line for the system, not bypassed and that the
equipment is in good condition.
When the vessel is bunkering, try not to bunker on top in the tanks – that means try not to bunker onto tanks
in use or partially full. As discussed earlier. Gas oil is biological and degrades over time. If you bunker on
top of old fuel then potentially the new fuel can degrade very quickly with the old fuel or be contaminated.
SLIDE 17
So what is the next step?
Well QACU will be sending a questionnaire to be completed by each vessel in your fleet which must be
completed prior to transferring off-ship.
This checklist will be a ‘GO/NO-GO’ form and will determine whether the vessel is permitted to transfer fuel
or not.
Full compliance of this procedure will be required otherwise the vessel will be prohibited from conducting
ship to ship transfers
As mentioned, several recent incidents have highlighted the need for a stricter regime of fuel management
to ensure fuel being transported and supplied throughout the Aramco marine operations is of satisfactory
quality and as per specification
To satisfy that, Aramco will releasing an update to the Offshore Manual that vessels must adhere to.
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SLIDE 18
On a relevant note - as well as on board handling of the fuel, it is of course an Aramco Offshore Manual
requirement that vessels possess a calibrated fuel transfer meter to ensure the accuracy of the quantity of
fuel supplied. This is also part of the Saudi Aramco Fuel Compliance prerequisites.
Please ensure your vessels are all certified and, as you know, it is something QACU check during on-hire
inspections and QSIs.
SLIDE 19
For your reference and something you should all be aware of already – Safety Flyer 66/23 makes reference to
one of the incidents recently experienced by a contractor vessel and also references the need for fuel
management plans.
However, during QACU ship visits, awareness of this safety flyer has been poor. This is unacceptable and
Port Captains and Engineers are required to ensure the vessel crew are supplied with and are fully aware of
any Safety Alerts released by Saudi Aramco.
SLIDE 20
As mentioned, Aramco will require evidences of a proactive fuel management plan on board your vessels which
will monitored closely for performance. Aramco will release a minimum requirement for ship to ship procedure
that will be released very shortly.
What has been discussed is nothing new. This is standard and basic engineering practices that you are all very
aware of. Also, the Fuel Management Plan normally forms part of the vessel SEEMP (Ship Energy Efficiency
Management Plan).
If basic industry standard marine engineering best practices had been applied in the recent incidents we have
seen, then they would have never happened in the first place.
10
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