Bunkering is the process of supplying fuel and/or gasoil to be used to power the propulsion system of a ship. The bunkering process involves delivering marine fuel, such as fuel oil, marine gas oil (MGO), or alternative fuels, to ships through various methods, including onshore facilities, bunker barges, or ship-to-ship (STS) operations. In shipping, the term "bunkering" is widely used to describe fuel supply logistics, and understanding the bunkering meaning in shipping is essential for vessel operators managing fuel procurement and consumption.

Bunkers is typically supplied in metric tonnes and in order to calculated the volume in M3, the vessel will measure/sound the tank which the bunkers has been supplied in, and use the density of the product to calculate the mass (MTS) - Volume(M3) = mass(MTS) / the density of the product supplied.

It is important to bunker, as bunkers is the energy source that powers the engine and moves a ship from A to B. It is important to choose the right counterpart when buying bunkers. The expense for bunkers is a very big part of a vessels daily OPEX, so it is important that it is purchased at the right time, supply is done as agreed, so the vessel is not delayed and the quality is right so the vessel does not face problems burning the oil or worst case breaks down.

A bunkering operation is either a onshore or a offshore operation where bunkers is pumped into the receiving vessel via a bunker hose. A onshore bunkering can by done by a bunker barge, a tank truck or from a pipeline instation, where a offshore bunkering will be done by a bunkerbarge, a socalled STS operation (Ship-To-Ship)

Before the bunkering start, it is important that both the supplying and receiving vessel has agreed on the bunkering procedure, which is called a pre-bunkering procedure. This procedure will incl. a clear agreement on the quality, grade and quantity of bunkers to be supplied, which connections should be used, the pumping and receiving rate, an emergency shutdown procedure and the sampling procedure.

Ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering is the process of transferring fuel from one vessel to another while at sea or anchored offshore. This bunkering operation is commonly used to refuel large vessels without requiring them to dock at a port. STS bunkering is conducted under strict safety protocols and environmental regulations to ensure a secure and efficient fuel transfer process. STS operation is also when the vessel is at berth – so all transfers from one vessel to another is an STS. Even transferring cargo (coal, containers, etc.) from one ship to another would also be an STS.

It is a bunkering operation carried out to a submersible ship or other craft designed to operate under water.

It is a bunkering operation carried out to a semi-submersible ship or other craft designed to operate partly under wather. This could a an offshore rig primarily involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas.

A bunker trader is responsible for facilitating the sale and delivery of bunkers to his og her customers.

The price for bunkers depends on what kind of product is required, which port it is required in and the current price level of the crude oil at the given moment.

It is the cost of the bunkers a vessel consumes to move a cargo from A to B. The cost depends on which type bunker the vessel use, how much is used and at what market level it has been purchased.

The most common types of bunkers is Low Sulphur Fuel Oil, High Sulphur Fuel Oil and Low Sulphur MGO.

The bunker barge will collect the samples and provide the receiving vessel with both the Marpol Samples and 2 or 3 representative samples from the delivery.

We carefully selected the suppliers we use, and we do random quality tests to make sure the product we supply is within the agreed specifications.

Yes, we can provide bunker surveys both on quality and quantity.

This is done by the cheif engineer C/E onboard a ship. He will use sounding tables and measure the contents of the bunker tanks onboard the ship and based on where he is going, the price and dialog with the operator of the ship, the C/E will decide how much to bunker.

You ensure that the bunkers from different supplier are supplied into separate tanks.

A representative for from the bunker barge will act as Dan-Bunkering's representative.

We use conversion models from the imperial system to the metric system.

Transporting large freight shipments across the globe is more cost effective compared to transporting it by air or land due to ships being able to carry more cargo at the time and by doing this less fuel is consumed compared to the volume of cargo transported.

Offshore bunkering is the process of supplying fuel to a vessel at sea rather than in a port. This operation is typically carried out using bunker barges or tankers that transfer fuel to the receiving vessel through a ship-to-ship (STS) operation. Offshore bunkering is commonly used in regions where port access is limited or to optimize fuel logistics for vessels on long-haul voyages.

Dan-Bunkering offers a wide range of bunkering services for various types of marine vessels, including ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering, offshore bunkering, and in-port bunkering. Dan-Bunkering specializes in providing high-quality bunker fuel including traditional marine fuels, low-sulphur fuel options, biofuels, and LNG and other future fuels. With over 40 years of experience and a global presence, we’re committed to pioneering the next wave of fuel solutions together with our customers and partners.