Singapore HSFO quality and testing procedures

S&P Global Platts editorial standards for the Market on Close assessment process for Singapore fuel oil cargo and bunker assessments call for best practices in all aspects of quality and operational performance.

Platts Singapore HSFO 380 CST and 180 CST assessments reflect specifications for RMG fuels as defined by the International Organization for Standardization in document ISO 8217:2010 Petroleum products -- Fuels (class F) -- specifications of marine fuels, with a maximum sulfur limit of 0.5%.

Platts would like to remind market participants that Platts fuel oil assessments reflect material that complies with all requirements, specifications and testing standards as defined in the ISO 8217:2010 document in their entirety and that it is of merchantable quality.

Platts is aware that additional testing of fuel oil quality, particularly Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), is being conducted more commonly now in the Singapore fuel oil cargo market.

Platts would like to remind market participants that performance of trades reported in the Platts Market on Close assessment process is not conditional upon results of such additional tests.

As such, oil delivered as a result of trades reported in the Platts Market on Close assessment process should not be unreasonably rejected by an entity, and any rejection based on quality may be subject to Platts review.

As stated in Platts published methodology, product reflected in Platts fuel oil assessments "shall not contain petrochemical wastes, residues from acid-catalyzed refining process, spent chemicals, waste lubricants, tar bottoms or hazardous waste." Furthermore, product containing any material proven to cause ship engine damage at certain reported levels is considered

unmerchantable.

For instance, Platts understands that fatty acid methyl esters, or FAME, is commonly found in fuel oil in trace amounts, and are not deemed harmful to ship engines at those levels. Platts is also aware that heavy fatty acids are not deemed harmful to ship engines when registering at trace levels.

Platts welcomes feedback on the above issues, including testing methods, and quality specifications.

Please send any feedback or comments to asia_products@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing.

Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.