Deterioration of Marine Bunker Fuel Oil Quality

Abstract

As a result of the Bali meeting of OPEC nations at the end of 1980, the era of US $40 per barrel crude is now at hand.To make matters worse, the increased de-mand for middle distillates and decreased demand for heavy fuel oil due to the conversion of land-based industries to alternative energy sources will result in increased processing of heavy fuel.
From the view point of operating economy, diesel engines will continue to be the main means of marine propulsion for another 20 years.However, it will be necessary to use low quality heavy fuel produced by cracking processes.
This paper discuss the trends of marine bunker fuel oil toward higher viscosity and lower quality and problems anticipated because of the use of such low quality fuel.