An Introduction to Bunkering Operations

By Nigel Draffin M.I.Mar.E.S.T.

First Edition, 2010, Published by Petrospot Limited

Overview
It is often said that there is no substitute for on-the-job training, especially in areas such as bunkering operations, where practical, hands-on work is the norm. However, there are many in the industry who may never get their hands dirty on a bunker barge, oil terminal or receiving vessel but who, nevertheless, still need to understand exactly how the industry works. This is where Nigel Draffin’s latest book, An Introduction to Bunker Operations, comes into its own.

The book is filled with photographs, charts and diagrams intended to help the reader visualise important aspects of bunker operations. It covers everything that needs to be understood and remembered, from plugging scuppers to fastening bolts on a bunker flange, and covers storage, measuring, delivery, sampling and handling of bunker fuels and debunkering.

Nigel examines each of the key elements involved, from ordering the right type and amount of fuel, to making sure it is safely delivered and properly accounted for. He covers the paperwork that needs to be done and looks at the various regulations now in place, including MARPOL Annex VI and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

The book includes a vast amount of informed detail on some of those areas that are often ignored – sometimes to great cost and inconvenience – such as variations in flange and hose sizes. As with his earlier books, Nigel Draffin has included comprehensive indices and appendices, as well as a very useful ‘where to go for help’ section.

Quotes:
Nigel Draffin:
‘I know from the questions I have been asked over the years that for most of us, the operations involved seem to throw up problems and restrictions that we do not understand. This book is intended to explain and put the whole process into context.’

Capt. Cees de Keijzer, President of the World Ship Society Rotterdam Branch and former Senior Policy Adviser and Bunker Coordinator at the Port of Rotterdam (writer of the Foreword):

‘Beyond question, marine fuel is regarded as the lifeblood of shipping and, with the high prices and all the changes that are still to come, we should be always aware of how many thousands and even millions of dollars are involved every time a ship receives bunkers.

‘I am convinced that this book will be of great help to anyone involved in storing, blending, delivering, sampling or handling marine fuels in whatever way, now and in the future. It is about time that a well researched and produced book like this has seen the light of day and I recommend it heartily’.

Llewellyn Bankes-Hughes, Publisher:

‘Conveying complicated subject matter in an easily-understood manner is Nigel’s speciality and helps explain his success and popularity as an author, teacher and mentor.’

About Nigel Draffin
Nigel Draffin has been involved in shipping for over 44 years and in bunkering for over 24 years. ,bed

Draffin’s previous books
An Introduction to Bunker Operations is Nigel’s fourth book on bunkering. In May 2008, Petrospot published the first in the series, An Introduction to Bunkering, which provides a comprehensive entry-level introduction to the bunker industry, offering newcomers bite-sized pieces of key information in a format ‘packed with useful and relevant data, practical illustrations and enough pictures to help anyone understand exactly what bunkering is all about’. In just over 100 pages, the book provides just enough material to maintain the reader’s interest and ensure that the book is read right through rather than just left on a shelf until required.
A Spanish language version of the book, entitled Guía de Abastecimiento del Combustible Marino, was also published in 2008, complete with an English-Spanish/Spanish-English glossary of key bunkering terms.
In June 2009, Nigel Draffin’s third book, An Introduction to Fuel Analysis, was published, tapping into a growing thirst for information on bunker quality issues. This book provides a guide and reference for those who need to understand the terminology and the reporting used in fuel analysis. It is not aimed at the specialist chemists and bunker surveyors whose jobs involve technical analysis, but at those who need to find their way around fuel specifications and to know why they are important. This book is intended to help anyone who has any doubts about what can be found in marine fuels and, once found, what can be done about it. It contains a six-language glossary of words associated with fuel analysis, designed to help readers whose native tongue maybe French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian or English.

Upcoming Petrospot bunker books
In September 2010, Petrospot will publish An Introduction to Bunker Credit Risk, by Adam Dupré, Managing Director of Ocean Intelligence (and previously Managing Director of MRC Business Information Group, now part of Lloyd’s List Intelligence). This book is aimed at those responsible for making credit decisions and assessing counterparty risk when buying or selling marine fuels. This can be a highly complex area of the industry, particularly in terms of interpreting financial information, but Adam Dupré presents the subject in a simply-written and highly-effective format that provides readers with a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of credit management.

Later this year will also see the publication of a book by barrister and legal consultant Trevor Harrison. Legal Issues in Bunkering: An Introduction to the Law Relating to the Sale and Use of Marine Fuels will offer a wealth of information on the key legal aspects of bunkering, including contacts, defaults, ship arrest and dispute resolution. It will include a section dealing with international conventions and national legislation on environmental issues relevant to bunkering. The aim of the book is to provide an overview of legal issues in no more than around 100-pages to offer the reader an easily-accessible ready reference. It is not intended as a substitute for professional help or to heavy leather-bound legal tomes on shipping law, but it will certainly help guide the reader to relevant laws and point him in the right direction should professional help be required.
For more information on any of the book titles published by Petrospot, please visit www.petrospot.com/books.