JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel

Contents

Executive Summary 3

Part I: Technical Analysis 5

Part II: JHC Guidance Notes: Mitigation of Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines 21
(JH2013/006)

Survey Wording (JH2013/007A) 24

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Executive Summary)

Executive Summary
Catalytic fines (cat fines) have been a feature of residual fuel oil for over five decades, with
engineers and surveyors increasingly aware of the potential damage caused by high cat fine
content.

There is strong evidence that hull underwriters are experiencing a significant increase in
frequency of engine damage as a result of excessive component wear – a substantial number of
these claims have been attributable to poor fuel quality and in particular high levels of cat fines
present in the fuel.

With increasing demand through environmental legislation that requires the burning of cleaner
fuel, low sulphur bunkers containing a higher cat fine content are mandatory for use in vessels
trading in emission controlled areas, increasing the requirement for careful fuel management.

In summary:

• There is real evidence that the quality of heavy fuel oil bunkers has declined in recent years
with resultant impact on the frequency of engine damage,

• Individual claims arising from cat fines are likely to exceed $1 million,

• High density cat fines can dramatically increase the rate of wear on critical machinery parts,

• Data demonstrates an increase in cat fine levels corresponding with demand for low sulphur
fuel and a notable increase in the frequency of cat fine damage cases,

• A discrepancy exists between ISO standards for cat fine content and the recommended
content by engine manufacturers, requiring effective filtration, purification and fuel
management,

• Contributory factors can include:

- insufficient capacity and poor efficiency of purifiers,

- lack of knowledge of current fuel quality on board,

- absence of effective maintenance practices

The attached paper, drafted by a working group of the Joint Hull Committee in association with
Braemar (The Salvage Association) focuses on key issues and provides underwriters with the
technical background to the issue of cat fines. More specifically:

Part 1: detailed assessment of the cause and consequences of cat fine related machinery
damage, and

Part 2: supplement highlighting risk assessment and mitigation factors for consideration during
the underwriting process.

In addition, included is an amended version of the JHC Machinery Space technical audit
wording which now includes specific reference to bunker fuel management.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel

Part I: Technical Analysis

JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Demand for low

sulphur fuels and
poor on board fuel
management add up
to a million dollar
headache for insurers
Catalytic (cat) fines have been a hot topic in
the news recently as the insurance market
has witnessed a dramatic increase in claims
for engine damage as a result of excessive
component wear. A substantial amount of
these claims have been attributable to poor
fuel quality and in particular high levels of
cat fines present in the fuel.

Cat fines are small, very hard particles of

aluminium-silica based material that can be
found in residual fuels. Cat fines may enter
the engine combustion space when the fuel Front page of Lloyd’s List, 6 March 2013
is injected, where they can become
embedded on the surface of the cast iron
cylinder liner, piston grooves and rings. The increased trend has been largely due to
Once in the engine these very hard particles the global environmental legislation curtailing
act as an abrasive, rapidly wearing the the levels of sulphur in ships fuel, and with
sliding components. Wear rates depend on these limits reducing further in the coming
the quantity and size of the cat fine years, the instances of engine damage are
particles. In certain circumstances, wear expected to correspondingly increase.
beyond the maximum limits can occur in as
little as a few weeks. The problem is mainly There are however solutions and
affecting large two stroke engines but cases preventative measures that can be taken to
involving four stroke engines are also assist in minimising the risk of problems, and
reported. with the cooperation of legislative and
The costs of these claims can be in excess technical bodies, ship owners, charterers
of one million USD, especially if the wrong and classification societies the number of
actions are taken by ship owners after the these occurrences can be reduced.
problem has been diagnosed.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

INTRODUCTION Baltic, North Sea and English Channel, until

In recent years, the quality of heavy fuel oil August 2012 when the North American ECA
bunkers has declined. This has had a came into force.
dramatic impact on fuel related engine
damage, with the consequential increase in In order to achieve the low sulphur limits
losses for ship owners, charterers and required for vessels that operate in these
insurers. areas the oil refineries have to blend
residual fuel with higher levels of cutter
Environmental policies and the ever stocks such as slurry oil which comes from
increasing cost of fossil fuels have played the catalytic cracking process. The catalysts

Source: Yakogawa
Figure 1 Structure of the fluid catalytic cracker

a major part in this decline; as more used in this complex process are oxides of
valuable distillate fuels are squeezed out of aluminium and silicon, which breakdown as
the crude oil stock and exhaust emission they react with the fuel becoming
laws limit the sulphur content, the results increasingly smaller. These catalysts are
are dangerously increased levels of catalytic expensive and are largely recycled by the
fines remaining in the end product that is refinery, however some of the smaller
delivered on board the ship. particles, known as cat fines, find their way
into the slurry oil which is a by product of
In the past bunker fuels were refined to suit the process.
their intended purpose, which is to burn Slurry oil (shown at the bottom of the
efficiently in the engine; density and distillation column in figure 1) is a highly
viscosity were the important factors in aromatic fluid which has a relatively high
producing suitable fuel. These days the density and viscosity but low sulphur
refineries are concentrating their efforts on content, when mixed with high sulphur
producing low sulphur fuels for use in residual fuel, the result is a low sulphur fuel
sulphur emission controlled areas (ECAs). with increased density and potentially
These areas were originally limited to the increased levels of cat fines.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

If cat fines find their way into the engine,

these hard particles usually get embedded Contrary to popular belief, the surface of a
in the softer metal surfaces of cylinder liners cylinder liner is not polished and smooth; it
and piston rings, and may also affect the is precisely honed to give an open graphite
operation of fuel pumps and injectors, structure, which may be considered to be
components which are intolerant to any rough in texture. This is to enable an
abrasive compounds. Figure 2 shows these adequate film of lubricating oil to adhere to
particles under the microscope. the surface to minimise the metal to metal
These embedded particles can act like an contact with the piston rings.
abrasive paste between the moving
components. Vertical lines are scored into The dark areas shown in figure 3 are known
the surface of the cylinder liner, which as open graphite lamellae. These lamellae
reduces the surface lubrication properties are made of a slightly softer material than
and accelerates the rate of wear.

Source: MAN Diesel

Figure 2 Microscope photograph of cat Figure 3 Microscope view of a cast iron
fines used in the refinery cylinder liner
In cases that involve high levels of cat fines that of the surrounding cast iron, and as
the rate of wear that normally takes place such they tend to entrap the cat fine
over a year can occur in a matter of weeks. particles. The microscope photograph in
figure 4, shows cat fine particles embedded
Cat fine damage is mainly reported in large into these graphite lamellae and the
slow speed crosshead main engines; this is surrounding cast iron structure has become
due to the action of large abrasive particles closed or polished due to scuffing.
passing through the fuel injection equipment
and into the cylinder liners, where they can This polishing inevitably reduces the
embed themselves onto the soft cast iron cylinder lubricating oil’s ability to stick to the
cylinder wall surfaces. It is less likely to find liner surface and increase the metal to
cat fine damage in medium or high speed metal contact of the piston rings. This will
engines, although it can occur. This is result in rapid wear of both piston ring and
largely due to the splash method of cylinder cylinder liner.
liner lubrication which washes the walls of
the cylinders with more frequency,
lessening the chance of cat fines being
embedded.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Source: MAN Diesel

Figure 4 - Red arrows show cat fines embedded in the lamellae of the cast iron cylinder liner

THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM

Cat fine particles can vary in physical size
between 1 micron and 75 microns.

A micron is more properly known as a micro

metre and is equivalent to 0.001 millimetres.
By comparison, a human hair is 50 to 70
microns, and a fine grain of sand is around
90 microns. Source: MAN Diesel
Figure 5 - Microscope photograph of cat
Engine experts suggest that particles in the fines entrapped in the mesh of a fuel filter
10 to 25 micron range are especially
harmful to machinery components, as they
Although the size of the particles is
are able to get into the gaps between sliding
important, the quantity of catfines present in
components. Figure 5 shows a microscope
the fuel is the most important factor in the
view of the mesh of a 50 micron fuel oil
extent of damage that they can cause.
filter, with two cat fine particles trapped
Engine makers and their experts state that
within.
from experience, quantities of less than 200

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

cat fines per square cm (CF/cm²) found Around this time fuel related engine
imbedded in the cylinder liner surface are damages were beginning to be reported,
harmless and quite normal. More than 200 with catalytic fines being a predominant
CF/cm² may increase liner and piston ring cause.
wear rates. If the quantity reaches or
exceeds 1000 CF/cm², excessive liner and Figure 6 shows a service bulletin from
piston ring wear will take place within just a engine makers B&W dated October 1977,
few days. In extereme cases quantities of warning owners about the problems and
more than 5000 CF/cm² have been solutions to the decreasing quality of
recorded. residual fuel oil. Particular emphasis was
made to the onboard fuel oil treatment plant,
HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM filters, heaters and purifiers, and how
Cat fines have existed in residual fuel oil important the correct operation and
since the 1950’s, when diesel engines were maintenance of this plant was to reduce the
converted to burn this type of fuel instead of quantity of cat fines in the fuel before it
the more expensive diesel and gas oil reached the engine.
distillate fuels.

Back in the late 1950s and 60s residual fuel

was relatively cheap. As such, the refineries
were not overly interested in squeezing the
last drop of distillates from the crude oil
stock. Less vigorous refining meant fewer
cat fines carried over into the residual fuel
oil product.

Crude oil prices rapidly increased by around

300% during the 1970’s as a direct result of
the Middle East War in 1973. This price
increase, and the higher demands for
distillate fuels, forced refiners to implement
improved refining techniques to enable
higher end distillates to be extracted from
the crude stock.

Unfortunately, the techniques such as

thermal and catalytic cracking were to have
a major impact on the quality of marine
fuels.

The first half of the 1980’s saw constant

modifications and improvements to ships’ Figure 6 - B&W Service letter from 1977 warning
main engines by the major manufacturers, about cat fines
with equal improvements and modifications
to purifiers and the onboard fuel treatment
process.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

THE INCREASES IN CAT FINE DAMAGE MARPOL Annex VI on "Regulations for

CASES the Prevention of Air Pollution from
Over the last 12 years Braemar (inc The Ships"
Salvage Association) has seen many cases In 2008 a global cap of 4.5% sulphur
of engine damage due solely or partially to content for residual fuels was introduced. In
Cat Fines in bunker fuel. 2012 the global cap was reduced further to
3.5%. The plan is to further reduce this cap
The graph shown in figure 7 shows the to 0.5% sulphur content in 2020.
number of cases that Braemar (inc The
Salvage Association) has dealt with over the In 2008 the Baltic Sea and North Sea,
past 12 years, and shows a large increase including the English Channel, was
in cases during 2012. The first 8 months of designated as a Sulphur Emission Control
2013 has already seen nine confirmed Area (ECA), this is shown in Figure 8.
cases of cat fine damages. Vessels operating in this area were required
to use fuel with a maximum of 1.5% sulphur.
The rise in cases numbers since 2009 and In 2010 this cap was reduced to 1.0% and is
in particular the large increase in 2012 are planned to be further reduced to 0.1% in
considered to be due to the environmental 2015. Additionally, vessels that are in port
legislation for the reduction in sulpur content or anchored close to port are required to
of fuel oil used on ships. These case use gas oil with a cap of 0.1%.
numbers only represent Braemars
experience, combined with results from the In August 2012 the USA and Canada
many other survey companies worldwide enforced the North American ECA which
they will be much larger. requires vessels operating within 200
nautical miles of the coast to use less

Figs to 1st
Sept 2013

Figure 7 - Number of cases of confirmed cat fine engine damage seen by Braemar
(inc The Salvage Association) over the last 12 years

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

than 1.0% sulphur as required in the Baltic No plans so far exist for expanding the ECA
& North Sea ECA, with the corresponding areas to the Mediterranean Sea, South
cap drop to 0.1% in 2015. America or Asia.

Source:
Oceanox

Figure 8 – The Baltic Sea and North Sea ECA zone, and the North American ECA
introduced in August 2012

At this point ships will no longer be able to FUTURE LEGISLATION

use residual fuel oil in these areas as, Shipping analysts forecast that the 2012
unless the vessel uses an appropriate global sulphur cap of 3.5% would require
exhaust gas scrubber, only gas oils will 11% of global high sulphur fuel oil to be
meet the sulphur content limits. blended to meet the new limit.
Since August 2012 with the North American
Some bodies suggest that cat fine problems ECA in force, the worldwide demand for low
will cease at this time as distillate fuel is not sulphur fuel oil has doubled, leading to
likely to contain cat fines, however for oil further, more complex blending. The
refiners to meet this massive new demand consequence of this has been an inevitable
for distillate fuels more intensive use of increase in the levels of cat fines.
Catalytic crackers will be necessary,
increasing the levels of cat fines in the Figure 9 shows the Braemar (inc The
residual fuel used by shipping in the rest of Salvage Association) cat fine engine
the world. damage confirmed case files overlaid with a
Even more of a concern is the 0.5% Global chart showing the MARPOL Annex VI on
Cap planned to be imposed in 2020, "Regulations for the Prevention of Air
although IMO have now suggested that this Pollution from Ships" sulphur limit timeline.
deadline may be delayed. The resultant chart clearly shows the
It is further planned to enforce a Caribbean relationship between decreasing low
and Mexican Coast ECA in January 2014. sulphur legislation and the increase in cat
fine engine damage cases.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

The Correlation Between

Low Sulphur Legislation and
the Increase in Cat Fine
Engine Damage Cases.

Figure 9 – Salvage Association case numbers plotted against the MARPOL sulphur
limits, the red arrows suggest that an increase may be inevitable

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN RESIDUAL The data shows that the average levels of
FUEL OIL CAT FINE LEVELS cat fines found in worldwide bunker fuels to
During recent years Det Norske Veritas be steadily increasing with the levels in
Petroleum Services (DNVPS) have been 2011 on average 26.8 ppm. This is shown in
compiling data on worldwide bunker fuel the graph in Figure 10.
The data is collected from bunker fuel
quality and issuing alerts notices to ship
samples taken for analysis by vessels
owners who subscribe to the service.
around the world and also shows specific
cat fine levels by country or area. Some of
the highest levels of 48 ppm are found in
the US Gulf bunker fuel which is a concern
following the introduction of the North
American ECA last year.

Another concerning trend is the rising

density of fuels, which is considered in part
to be another result of refineries blending to
achieve low sulphur products. In addition to
affecting the ignition quality of fuel,
increasing density may also affect the ability
Figure 10 – DNVPS statistics showing the of the vessel’s fuel purifiers to deal with cat
increase in ppm cat fines year by year fines, which will be explained later in this
paper.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Figure 11 – DNVPS fuel analysis reports show regional differences in the ppm of cat
fines in both high and low sulphur fuels

PREVENTION OF CAT FINE DAMAGE

Since 1982 the International Standards It can be seen from this table that the latest
Organisation (ISO) has published a version of the standard, which came into
specification for the quality of marine bunker effect in August 2012, specifies a maximum
fuels, specifying the maximum limits of level of 60 parts per million cat fines.
various characteristics, components and
contaminants. The standard is known as Interestingly the major engine makers
ISO 8217 and the current edition, the fifth specify a maximum of 15 parts per million
revision, is ISO 8217: 2012 as a safe maximum level to use in their
The table in figure 12 shows the five engines after the necessary pre-treatment
editions of the standard and the maximum onboard. This however was a notional
limits of cat fines allowed for RMG 380 measure of filter efficiency, not a
grade fuel oil. scientifically established standard.

Figure 12

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Many different characteristics and should reduce cat fine levels by 75%
components are specified within the
standard with each being given a maximum However there are many problems faced by
allowed value. Of relevance here is the level ship-owners such as:
of cat fines, which are measured as the sum
of aluminium and silicon particles in mg per • Poor efficiency of purifiers, an essential
kg or parts per million. Figure 13 shows the part of the onboard fuel treatment
ISO 8217:2010 standard, the column system.
headed RMG includes limits for RMG 380 • In certain circumstances, the lack of
grade fuel oil which is arguably the most knowledge about the current bunker fuel
common grade of marine residual fuel oil. quality by the ships engineers
• Consequently, a lack of awareness of
The leading main engine makers MAN B&W other potentially contributing fuel quality
and Wartsila specify fuel with a maximum of parameters such as water content and
15 ppm cat fines at the point of injection to used lube oil content prior to using the
be used in their engines. It may be fuel
surprising to the layman therefore that the • Lack of good maintenance practices,
ISO limit remains as high as it does. The such as regular cleaning of fuel oil
reason is purely commercial, with refiners service tanks
saying “yes we can produce 15ppm fuel oil, • Minimal and insufficient capacity of
but it will cost you the consumer more”. purifiers provided by the shipyard during
It is generally accepted that the correct pre- the building process
treatment of fuel oil onboard the vessel

Figure 13 – ISO 8217:2010 Standard for marine fuel oil

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

FUEL OIL TREATMENT ONBOARD THE temperature of the fuel to 98 degrees C

VESSEL before being fed through to the purifiers.
All vessels are built with an onboard fuel This is the optimum temperature for efficient
treatment plant, which consists of settling separation of contaminants in the purifiers.
tanks, service tanks, purifiers, pumps,
heaters and filters. The components are The purifiers are constructed with a bowl
standard on all vessels but the size and that spins at very high speed. Fuel is
quantity of equipment can vary. Figure 14 delivered into the bowl and the action of
shows a standard layout approved by centrifugal force throws the heavy particles
Wartsila. and contaminants outwards to the edges of

Figure 14 – Fuel oil treatment plant layout approved by Wartsila for its low speed
engines
Fuel is transferred by the vessel’s engineers the bowl, where they are discharged on a
from double bottom or wing storage tanks to regular cycle to the sludge tank.
the FO settling tank, which is constructed
with an inclined bottom so that heavy The purifiers are set up with a throughput of
particles, sludge and water can be drained fuel sufficient to fill the service tank with just
off at the lowest point. The fuel remains in the right amount of fuel according to the
this tank as long as possible and is engines consumption. Ideally the through
preheated by heating coils in the tank, put should be adjusted so that engine
before being transferred to the FO service consumption plus 10% is delivered to the
tank via the purifiers. The settled and service tank with the excess being
heated fuel is then pumped through filters overflowed back to the settling tank.
and in line heaters which raise the

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Figure 15 shows a purifier bowl with fuel As well as maintaining the purifiers with a
from the settling tank entering from a central regular planned maintenance system, the
pipe. After separating the heavy other components of the system should be
contaminants, the purified oil is discharged regularly checked and adjusted as
(shown as yellow in the diagram). Water is necessary. Fuel filters should be removed
discharged by means of a valve in the cleaned and inspected for holes, whilst
discharge pipe and the sludge is discharged heaters should be regularly opened and
when the bowl is momentarily opened cleaned to ensure that the maximum
during a specifically timed cycle. temperature of the fuel can be obtained
prior to purification.

Daily draining of the settling and service

tanks should be carried out by the watch
keeping engineers and excess amounts of
sludge and water drained from these tanks
recorded and reported.

Source:
Alfa Laval
Figure 15 - Operation of a fuel oil purifier
Figure 16 - excess sludge build up in the
purifier casing
Although the operation of the purifier is
normally automatically controlled by
microprocessor, manual maintenance is
essential for efficient operation. Fuel oil
varies considerably in density, viscosity and
contaminant levels, so the purifier has to be
closely monitored to ensure that the sludge
cycle is frequent enough to remove the
sludge that builds up in the bowl. If this
sludge cycle is not optimal, sludge can fill
the bowl and carry over with the clean fuel.
This effectively results in the purifier acting
purely as a pump and not removing any
Figure 17 - excess sludge build up in the
contaminants, as it should. purifier bowl
Figure 16 and 17 show excess sludge build
up in a purifier bowl.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

CASE STUDY 1 of the main engine. The engine was

stopped and inspection found that all piston
54,000 DWT bulk carrier, built in 2005 rings had excessive wear and many were
broken. The piston crowns had evidence of
Main Engine: MAN B&W 6S50MC-C slow blow by and large deposits of sludge and
speed direct reversing two-stroke diesel scrapings were noted in the scavenging
engine. manifold.
Bore: 500 mm
Stroke: 2,000 mm The Owners were duly advised of the
problem, and in view of a planned long
6 September 2009 to 5 October 2009 ocean passage, the vessel was diverted to
Main Engine Operational Problems the nearest suitable port to carry out
overhaul of the main engine and repairs to
On 30 July 2009 the vessels chief engineer the generator fuel pumps, as these
noticed that the diesel generators were continued to give running problems. While
running erratically, and that excessive en route to this port, the problems with the
sludge was building up in the fuel oil generators worsened, and eventually the
purifiers and filters. At the next port the chief engineer switched over to running on
engineers made an inspection of the six diesel oil. The No. 5 cylinder cover on the
main engine cylinder units. While all piston No. 2 generator had to be replaced at this
rings were noted intact, the pistons and time due to burning of the exhaust valve.
rings were found to be abnormally dirty.
During the overhaul of the main engine the
On the next passage a rise in the exhaust following damage was found:
gas temperatures of the No.2 main engine
unit was noted. Consequently the unit was No.1 cylinder liner found cracked.
overhauled on 6 September 2009, at which All six piston crowns heavily fouled, and
time the piston rings were found broken and with slight scuffing marks on the skirts.
severely worn. By this time the chief All ring sets appeared worn and with the
engineer suspected that the quality of the compression ring stuck in a number of
fuel oil on board was poor. After discussions cases.
with the engineers he discovered that the All remaining cylinder liners worn to some
previous chief engineer had been using the extent, with ridges on the exhaust side
No. 1 & 3 fuel oil double bottom tanks for about 100 mm below the top landing on
dumping excess sludge. nos. 1, 4, and 6 units.
Two main engine piston rods were found to
In anticipation of stemming new bunkers for have excessive wear and sent to MAN
the next voyage, the chief engineer ordered authorised repair facilities for grinding
the remaining fuel in No. 1, 2 & 3 double undersize. Two undersize stuffing boxes
bottom tanks be consolidated into No. 4 port were provided.
tank. A large quantity of water and sludge
was noted to be carried over to this tank Fuel Oil Tanks
during the transfer. New bunkers were then
loaded into the empty tanks. The vessel had a total of four double bottom
During passage on 15 September the chief fuel oil tanks, and two engine room side
engineer noted rising exhaust gas tanks, plus settling and service tanks for
temperatures in Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 units heavy fuel oil, totalling about 2,200 m3.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

Owners arranged for all fuel oil tanks to be

cleaned of sludge, and for all contaminated
fuel oil to be disposed of.

Main engine with all pistons removed

The alleged cause of the damage was the

supply of poor fuel oil bunkers with
excessive levels of cat fines.
No. 1 Unit ME Piston (after only 240 running
hours)
The cost of repairs was in the region of
USD 1,500,000.

CASE STUDY 2

302,986 DWT Crude oil tanker

Built in 2002
Main Engine: Sulzer 8RTA84T slow
speed direct reversing two-stroke diesel
engine.
Bore: 840 mm
Stroke: 3,150 mm
No. 4 Unit piston – note broken 2nd ring
21 November 2006 main engine damage

At 0830 hrs on 21 November 2006 while on

a loaded passage the double hulled crude
oil carrier experienced main engine failure.
Upon inspection it was found six of the eight
main engine cylinders had suffered
extensive inexplicable wear.

Fuel Oil

The vessel had a fuel oil consumption, when

fully loaded and running at 90% of its
No. 3 Unit piston after removal maximum continuous rating, of about 120
tonnes per day. The fuel oil bunker capacity

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Technical Analysis)

was some 10 500 tonnes in four bunker Catfines

tanks, two settling tanks and a service tanks.
Observation: Catfines content (Aluminium
The fuel in use at the time of the main engine +Silicon) in fuel is high.
failure was bunkered on 9 September 2006, Catfines cause high wear in rubbing surfaces
when 7280 tonnes were loaded. of cylinder and fuel system.
If the catfines content is less than 15 ppm,
The samples of this stem, which were wear and tear for the engine will be minimal.
collected by drip feed throughout the Increased catfines content will increase the
bunkering process, numbered four; one for wear rate.
MARPOL purposes, one for the bunker Purify continuously and recirculate the fuel
suppliers, one for the vessel and one to be several times to bring down the catfines
despatched to VISWA. content.

Two sets of analysis results were received Damage Found and Recommendations
back from the test laboratory for this fuel oil. Made
The first, received on 14 September 2006,
did not give the fuels silicon or aluminium
With the fitting of three replacement liners it
content, the tests for which were being re-
was anticipated that a further five liners
run, the report advised.
would require replacement in conjunction
These figures were however included the
with associated consumable spares.
second report received on 15 September.
It was recommended that the main engine
piston crowns be calibrated and replaced if
Two things of note emerged from the
found to be outside the Maker’s
analysis of this fuel oil. One being that the
recommended levels of wear.
silicon and aluminium content was high and
the other being that the sulphur content was
All of the fuel injectors in service prior to the
low. Each of these factors generated remarks
engine failure required removal from the
from the lab. A transcript of the report is
engine for examination with the
given below.…
recommendation that they be replaced if
Fuel Oil Analysis showing unacceptable signs of wear (three
injectors are fitted to each unit).
Grade Conformance It was also recommended that a number of
fuel pump spill valves be examined and
The fuel sample tested conforms to grade assessed for cavitation, another symptom
RMG 380. indicating the presence of cat fines. Should
cavitation be evident, all valves should be
Comments replaced.

High iron noted. High iron can cause The cost of repairs was in the region of
damage to fuel pump and fuel nozzle. USD 900,000
Ensure purification and filtration systems
are functioning efficiently.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Guidance Notes)

Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel

Part II: Guidance Notes (JH2013/006)

JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Guidance Notes)

JHC Guidance Notes (JH2013/006)

Mitigation of Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines

1 - Prior to Bunker Fuel Delivery

The Vessel should:

• Ensure that there are sufficient empty tanks to store the newly purchased fuel.
• Ensure that the empty tanks are clean.
• Be aware of the analysis statistics on fuel quality of the port of supply, especially if there
are any relevant warnings issued by testing laboratories, P&I Clubs and marine press.
• Ensure the vessel has sufficient fuel on board to enable the testing of new bunkers prior
to usage. It should avoid using newly purchased fuel without obtaining and acting on the
results of fuel analysis.

Contractual Agreements:

In the Charterparty and Bunkering contracts, the agreed value of ppm of Aluminium (Al) and
Silicon (Si) should be kept to less than 50ppm (irrespective of the ISO 8217:2012 limit of
60ppm), to ensure that the centrifuges can effectively bring this value down to less than
15ppm at the entry to the engines.

NB: If bunkered oil contains more than 50ppm of catalytic fines, injected oil is still likely
to have higher than the recommended levels of cat fines due to the limitations of on
board fuel treatment equipment.

2 - During and immediately after Bunker Fuel Delivery

The Vessel should:

Ensure that representative bunker samples are drawn in line with industry guidelines and
tested by a suitable independent laboratory against the ISO 8217:2012 specification
requirements:

• Drip fuel samples should be taken during bunkering, from each bunker
source/barge/tanker.
• Expedient dispatch to follow, from bunker port to analysis laboratories with the provision
that the Fuel Analysis Report returns to the vessel as soon as possible and in any case
prior to using the bunkered oil.

In the unlikely case of emergency where the use of bunker fuel has to be used without
receipt of analysis results, contact the technical superintendent for permission.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Guidance Notes)

3 - During use of Bunker Fuel

Regular Testing post Bunker Fuel Purchase:

• There should be a system of analyzing oil at the entrance to the engine through a
system of fuel system audits to ascertain and improve the efficiency of the purification
and filtering system.
• Samples of heavy fuel oil should also be taken before and after each separator at
intervals of 4 to a maximum 6 months. The samples should be sent to accredited
laboratories such as DNVPS, FOBAS or Intertek for analysis using the ISO 8217
standard specification for comparison.
• In the event of an amber warning on levels of silicon and aluminium levels in the fuel,
then fuel samples should be taken before and after purifiers. Max allowable total Si + Al
50ppm before purifier, and 15ppm after purifier.

Purifiers:

• Where possible, run two purifiers in parallel with minimum flow and keep the HFO inlet
temperature at the optimal of 98º C to ensure efficient purification.
• Purifier capacity should be sufficient to cope with daily fuel consumption plus 10% in
order to enable some recirculation of fuel in the settling tank to occur.
• Purifier efficiency tests should be carried out annually by fuel specialist bodies, such as
DNVPS or FOBAS.
• Regular checks of the purifiers should be made by the manufacturer’s service engineers
to enhance system efficiency.
• Fuel system filters should be regularly inspected and cleaned – not only when high
differential alarms are activated.

Fuel Storage, Settling & Service Tanks:

• New bunkers should be put into empty tanks, and blending of different fuels should be
avoided.
• Frequent (daily) draining of water and settled bottom sediments from fuel storage,
settling and service tanks should take place. During calm weather, the heavy
components in the HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil), such as cat fines, will settle in the tank bottom,
and in heavy weather these abrasive particulates can be stirred up and fed into the
purifiers in concentrations exceeding the maximum acceptable levels of 50ppm. If
unchecked, this can impede the efficiency of the treatment system, leading to large
quantities of cat fines at the engine inlet.
• Drained oil from automatic fuel oil backwash filters should not be reintroduced into the
fuel treatment system.
• Clean settling and service tanks during dry docking in order to deal with any long term
build-up of cat fines and sediment in the bottom of the fuel oil storage tanks.

Equipment Maintenance:

• Fuel treatment heaters should be opened and cleaned regularly to ensure that the
optimal temperature of 98 º C for purification is reached.
• Purifiers should be opened for cleaning at the scheduled intervals recommended by the
manufacturers, or more often if poor fuel quality is suspected. Vessels should maintain
the necessary spare parts on board.

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JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Guidance Notes)

Training:

• There should be company Bunker Procurement, Handling and Management plans

provided to vessels.
• The Operator should ensure that the responsible personnel are sufficiently trained to
fully and independently operate and maintain all above mentioned equipment as
appropriate, both through existing qualifications prior to employment as well as on-going
training courses and market practice updates, if and where necessary.
• The responsible personnel should be familiar with the issues raised in these guidance
notes (JH2013/006).

Record Keeping:

Crew and operator to maintain records of bunker fuel management procedures, including
maintenance records and reports of mechanical or procedural failures.

4 - If a Problem is Found

If engine damage is thought to be due to cat fines, experts should be instructed to confirm
the presence of cat fines. Such confirmation can only be achieved by replica testing of the
affected cylinder liners and piston rings carried out by the engine maker technicians.

If cat fines are confirmed, all necessary work to eradicate them from the fuel should be
carried out immediately. This should include the:

• Removal of contaminated fuel oil from the vessel,

• Cleaning of storage, settling and storage tanks, and fuel system components,
• Replacement or machining of all affected engine components.

This will help to avoid the escalation of further engine damage caused by cat fines, and
minimise further delays in commercial operations and the unnecessary additional costs and
insurance claims.

5 - Options for Improvement

Operators may wish to focus their attention on the subjects noted in these guidance notes
and carry out an internal review of their bunker handling and treatment procedures. They
may also wish to enhance their planned maintenance by increasing inspections of engine
cylinder assembly parts in order to provide early identification of fuel related problems.

The fitting of proprietary cat fine analysis equipment that enables the vessel engineers to
see levels of cat fines in the system in real time should be actively considered.

Page 23 of 24
JHC Report - Marine Engine Damage due to Catalytic Fines in Fuel (Survey Wording)

JH 2013/007A
26 September 2013

Engine Room, Machinery and Bunker Fuel Risk Assessment

In each case as a condition precedent to the liability of the Underwriters under the insurance

1. the vessel shall be subject to an Engine Room Risk Assessment with specific reference
to:

a. the engine room management

b. a machinery risk analysis
c. bunker fuel management

by Marine Engineer Surveyor ……………… within thirty days of …………….. ; and

2. all recommendations shall be complied with by the date or dates required by the
surveyor; and

3. all recommendations described by the said surveyor as “ongoing” shall be complied

with throughout the period of this insurance and any extension thereof.

It is further agreed that:

a) the cost of the survey will be borne by the assured;

b) the surveyor’s recommendations may include that additional surveys be carried out;

c) Underwriters shall receive a copy of any recommendations and/or reports directly

from the surveyor within …….. days of completion of any survey;

d) Underwriters shall be entitled, but not obliged, to request the surveyor to report to
them concerning compliance with any recommendations made by the surveyor.