Petrobras Produces First Batch of Bunker Fuel for Ships

Bunker Produced Complies with IMO Regulations and Makes Petrobras a Participant in the Global Club of Oil Companies Producing This Type of Fuel

According to Ship & Bunker, Petrobras produced its first batch of Bunker VLSFO with a sulfur content compliant with IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulations for 2020, which stipulate a sulfur index below 0.5% starting January 1, 2020.
The bunker produced by the Brazilian state company has 0.34% sulfur, and the fuel specifications were developed by the company itself.

Bunker is the name given to the fuel used in the engines of ships, also called heavy oil, which is viscous and has a high sulfur content due to its composition, a mixture of fuel oil and diesel oil.

The fuel must be capable of operating under high pressure without affecting its utilities or molecular structure, causing a loss of power in the vessel’s engine. It is coupled with the lubricant in its injection, which is essential for the health of the gears that move the ship.

Joining the Producers’ Club

With the production of bunker, Petrobras joins the club of oil companies that manufacture the fuel, and its development has been challenging, as oils produced in Brazil are typically known for being particularly low in sulfur.

Petrobras’ entry into the group occurs before the publication of the new global sulfur limit, as the company joins Red Sea Bunkering (RSB), BP, whose fuel will be available in the second half of 2019, and Stonewin, which will offer VLSFO bunkers at 0.50%, starting May 1, in compliance with IMO 2020 in Port Louis, Mauritius.

The first production of bunker by Petrobras was 618 tons and, according to reports, it was transported by a ship chartered by Petrobras.

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