Bunkering Procedure Checklist: Before, During and After

A bunkering procedure checklist exists because fuel transfers go wrong in predictable ways: the wrong tank, an overflow, a leaking hose, a quantity nobody can agree on afterward. Most of these problems are prevented by preparation and discipline rather than by equipment. The steps below follow the order of a typical bunkering, before, during and after, and should always be read alongside your company's own procedures and the rules that apply where the vessel is operating.

Before bunkering: planning and preparation

Good bunkering starts well before the barge or truck arrives.

Plan the quantity and the tanks. Start from an accurate ROB for every tank. Decide which tanks will receive fuel, in what order, and to what maximum filling level, leaving room for expansion as the fuel warms. Avoid mixing new fuel with old fuel in the same tank where the grades or suppliers differ, unless compatibility is known.

Confirm the order. Check the grade, quantity and delivery details agreed with the supplier, and make sure the crew knows them too.

Sound the tanks. Take opening soundings of every tank involved, including those not planned to receive fuel, and record trim, list and temperature at the same time. These figures are the baseline for everything that follows.

Prepare the deck. Plug scuppers, place drip trays under connections, and have spill response equipment ready as set out in the vessel's spill plan. Close and, where applicable, secure every valve that should not be open.

Check the connection. Inspect hoses, flanges and gaskets. Make sure the hose is long enough to follow the vessel's movement and is properly supported.

Agree on communication. Before any fuel moves, the vessel and the supplier should agree on the pumping rate, the signal to slow down, the signal to stop, and who gives each one. A pre-bunkering meeting and a checklist signed by both sides are common practice.

During bunkering: controlled transfer

Start slowly. Begin at a low rate and confirm that fuel is arriving in the intended tank and nowhere else. Only then increase to the agreed rate.

Watch continuously. Someone should be at the manifold and someone monitoring the tanks the whole time. Check hose and connections for leaks, and keep the communication line open.

Sound regularly. Take soundings at regular intervals, more often as each tank approaches its planned level, and adjust valves in good time to change tanks.

Top off at a reduced rate. Most overflows happen during topping off. Ask the supplier to reduce the rate well before the final tank is full, and never leave the last tank unattended.

Sample. Fuel samples are normally drawn throughout the delivery at the agreed sampling point, then sealed and labelled in the presence of both parties.

Stop when in doubt. Any leak, unclear signal, or unexpected rise in a tank that should not be filling is a reason to stop pumping first and investigate after.

After bunkering: closing and recording

Clear and disconnect. Clear the hose as agreed with the supplier, close the valves, and disconnect carefully with drip trays in place.

Take closing soundings. Let the fuel settle, then sound every tank involved and record trim, list and temperature again.

Calculate the quantity received. Convert soundings to volume with the tank tables, correct for trim, list and temperature, and use the density to get mass where needed.

Check the paperwork. Compare your figure with the bunker delivery note (BDN) before signing. If there is a discrepancy that cannot be explained, record it in writing through a note of protest or your company's equivalent procedure, rather than signing and arguing later.

Keep samples and records. Store the retained samples as required and enter the bunkering in the vessel's logs and fuel records.

Verifying the quantity received, by comparing the delivery note, flowmeter readings and soundings, is a topic of its own and is covered in a separate article.

A short bunkering procedure checklist

• Accurate ROB and a tank-by-tank plan
• Grade and quantity confirmed with the supplier
• Opening soundings with trim, list and temperature
• Scuppers plugged, drip trays and spill equipment ready
• Hoses and connections inspected
• Rates and stop signals agreed
• Slow start, then agreed rate, then slow topping off
• Continuous watch on manifold and tanks
• Samples drawn, sealed and labelled
• Closing soundings after the fuel settles
• Quantity calculated before signing the BDN

Where monitoring helps

Manual soundings will always be part of bunkering, but they are snapshots. MANTRAZ adds a continuous record: flow rate, density, temperature, mass and volume are measured through every bunker, with the live total refreshed every 60 seconds so the crew can follow the delivery as it happens. When the tank nears its limit, the crew and the office get an overflow alarm. Afterward, the bunkering log sets the target against the flowmeter total and the tank sounding before and after, and the data can be exported to Excel.

To see a bunkering recorded this way on data similar to yours, request a MANTRAZ demo.