This internal summary is based on a report issued by the Hong Kong Marine Department (Information Note No. 34/2025). It addresses an oil spill that occurred during a bunkering operation involving a Marshall Islands-registered vessel at a container terminal in Hong Kong.
What Happened
A vessel berthed at a Hong Kong container terminal for cargo handling and was scheduled to receive bunker fuel from a locally licensed oil carrier. The vessel’s port-side fuel oil tank (No. 1), with a maximum capacity of 219.94 cubic metres, was selected for the operation, with 180 metric tons of fuel requested. However, the fuel supplier, unaware of the revised amount, proceeded to deliver 250 metric tons — as per a previous agreement.
Approximately two hours into the operation, a cargo officer from the supplying company boarded the vessel to finalize documentation and discovered the chief engineer was not aware of the delivery quantity. Bunkering was suspended immediately. By that time, approximately 6,900 litres of fuel had overflowed onto the vessel’s deck and into the sea, causing marine pollution and contaminating nearby vessels and terminal structures.
Why It Happened
The investigation identified the following contributing factors:
- Failure by the crew to verify the bunkering quantity before starting operations.
- Inadequate on-site monitoring of the fuel tank during bunkering.
- Ineffective communication among all parties involved in the operation.
- Deficient training for crew members in shipboard bunkering procedures.
Lessons Learned
To prevent similar incidents:
- Crews must strictly follow bunkering procedures, including pre-delivery verification of quantity and continuous on-site monitoring during transfer.
- All parties involved in bunkering must maintain clear and effective communication throughout the process.
- Vessel operators must ensure all crew members receive thorough and effective training on bunkering operations.
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department
