Marine Fuel Oil Quality Trends and Their Effects on Motor Vessel Fuel Systems and Maintenance Practices (Part 1)

This paper reviews the current and future marine fuel oil quality in terms of normal fuel inspection test items.Increasingly, straight run residual fuels are being replaced by high conversion residual fuels due to further reprocessing of straight run residual fuels in order to satisfy the increased demand for middle distillate fuels. Generally, a high conversion fuel has a higher density, a lower stability reserve and a higher level of contaminants than a straight run fuel with the same viscosity.Throughout the history of residual fuels usage in motor vessels there have always been considerable variations in the properties of fuels, both with time and from different locations. Efficient combustion depends particularly on the design and condition of the plant, and ships' engineers who regularly faced with variations in fuel quality can obtain clear and economic operation by careful attention and adjustments to fuel quality.Recommendations are given on motor vessel fuel handling and fuel system designs.