Glossary
The language of bunkering, explained
Whether you're new to the industry or keeping up with its terms, here are the words you'll meet in every stem.
- AgentTerm
- The port agent who coordinates the vessel's call, including the bunker delivery schedule with the supplier.
- ARAAbbreviation
- Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp, Europe's main bunkering and oil trading hub.
- Barge deliveryTerm
- Fuel delivered alongside the vessel from a bunker barge, typical for larger quantities and residual fuels.
- BDNAbbreviation
- Bunker Delivery Note. The document signed at delivery showing grade, quantity, density, sulphur content and other details. Required under MARPOL Annex VI and kept on board for at least three years.
- BDRAbbreviation
- Bunker Delivery Report (or Receipt): the supplier's record of the delivery, sent with the invoice.
- Bio-LNGTerm
- Liquefied natural gas made from biomass or biomethane rather than fossil gas.
- BiofuelTerm
- Fuel produced from biomass (plant or animal material), often blended with conventional marine fuel, for example B24 or B30.
- BNAbbreviation
- Base Number. A lubricant's ability to neutralise acids formed during combustion; matched to the fuel's sulphur content.
- BrentTerm
- The North Sea crude oil benchmark used to price much of the world's oil.
- BunkerTerm
- Fuel used to power a ship's engines, as opposed to cargo.
- BunkeringTerm
- The process of supplying fuel to ships.
- CIAAbbreviation
- Cash in advance: payment before delivery.
- CIF MEDAbbreviation
- Cost, Insurance and Freight, Mediterranean: a pricing basis for refined products delivered in Mediterranean countries.
- CoQAbbreviation
- Certificate of Quality: laboratory results for the product to be delivered, showing it meets the ordered specification.
- cStAbbreviation
- Centistoke, the unit of kinematic viscosity. Residual fuel grades are named after their maximum viscosity at 50°C, for example RMG 380.
- Density at 15°CTerm
- Mass per volume at the reference temperature of 15°C, in kg/m³. Used to convert volume into tonnes.
- DistillateTerm
- Light fuel from the distillation of crude oil, such as marine gasoil (DMA, DMZ, DMB).
- DrumsTerm
- Lubricants are often supplied in drums of 205 to 208 litres, sold individually or by pallet.
- ECA / SECAAbbreviation
- (Sulphur) Emission Control Area, where fuel must contain no more than 0.10% sulphur: the North Sea, Baltic, North American and US Caribbean areas, and the Mediterranean since 1 May 2025.
- ETA / ETDAbbreviation
- Estimated time of arrival / departure of the vessel.
- EU ETSAbbreviation
- EU Emissions Trading System, extended to shipping from 2024: ship operators surrender allowances for their CO2 emissions.
- Flash pointTerm
- The lowest temperature at which fuel vapour can ignite. SOLAS requires at least 60°C for marine fuels.
- FuelEU MaritimeTerm
- EU regulation in force since 2025 that limits the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used on board ships.
- HSFOAbbreviation
- High Sulphur Fuel Oil, above 0.50% sulphur. Only usable outside ECAs with an approved scrubber.
- IMOAbbreviation
- International Maritime Organization, the UN agency that sets global shipping rules such as MARPOL.
- IMO 2020Term
- The global 0.50% sulphur limit for marine fuel, in force since 1 January 2020.
- ISO 8217Term
- The international standard for marine fuel specifications, defining distillate (DM) and residual (RM) grades.
- LNGAbbreviation
- Liquefied natural gas, used as a lower-emission marine fuel in dual-fuel engines.
- LSMGOAbbreviation
- Low Sulphur Marine Gasoil, with no more than 0.10% sulphur, for use in ECAs and EU ports.
- MARPOL Annex VITerm
- The part of the international MARPOL convention that regulates air pollution from ships, including fuel sulphur limits.
- MDOAbbreviation
- Marine Diesel Oil, a distillate that may contain a small share of residual fuel (DMB).
- MGOAbbreviation
- Marine Gasoil, a pure distillate fuel, usually grade DMA.
- MTAbbreviation
- Metric tonne (1,000 kg), the usual unit for buying bunkers.
- NominationTerm
- The buyer's firm order to the supplier for a specific vessel, port, grade, quantity and delivery window.
- Off-specTerm
- Fuel that does not meet the ordered specification, which can lead to a quality claim.
- Pour pointTerm
- The lowest temperature at which fuel still flows; important for storage and handling in cold weather.
- Residual fuelTerm
- Heavier fuel made from the residue of crude oil refining, such as VLSFO and HSFO (RM grades).
- Sample (MARPOL sample)Term
- A sealed fuel sample taken during delivery. The MARPOL sample stays on board for at least 12 months for inspections.
- Scrubber (EGCS)Term
- Exhaust gas cleaning system that removes sulphur oxides, allowing a ship to burn HSFO while meeting sulphur limits.
- StemTerm
- A confirmed bunker order: the agreed grade, quantity, price, port and delivery dates.
- SurveyorTerm
- An independent inspector who measures the quantity delivered and witnesses sampling.
- Truck deliveryTerm
- Fuel delivered to the vessel by road tanker at the quay, typical for smaller quantities of gasoil.
- ULSFOAbbreviation
- Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil, a residual fuel with no more than 0.10% sulphur.
- VCFAbbreviation
- Volume Correction Factor: converts a volume measured at any temperature to its volume at 15°C.
- ViscosityTerm
- A fuel's resistance to flow, measured in cSt; determines heating needed before use.
- VLSFOAbbreviation
- Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil, a residual fuel with no more than 0.50% sulphur, the main fuel since IMO 2020.
- WTIAbbreviation
- West Texas Intermediate, the US crude oil benchmark.
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