Bunker Detective Surveys are carried out by our marine surveyors on behalf of the charterers to find concealed (hidden) bunker fuel onboard. To find concealed fuel our qualified marine surveyor attend to the vessel. At the present market rate, bunker cost is one of the largest operating expense incurred, with such high costs involved, it becomes imperative for the charterers to know the exact bunker quantity onboard.

In order to prevent fuel losses ’Bunker Detective’ experienced surveyors offer impartial, independent quantity measurement inspection services for marine fuels, issuing detailed bunker survey reports to confirm fuel delivery and report any bunker fuel shortages.

How bunker fuel is concealed?

There are many ways to conceal fuel on a vessel – some of the examples are:

• Hidden compartments

• Use of ‘magic pipes’

• Altered sounding pipe lengths

• Non-class approved sounding tables

• Altered sounding pipe lengths

• Tampered Sounding Tapes

• Short bunker delivery

• Doctored fuel gauges and so on….

What is a ‘magic pipe’?

Magic pipe is a terminology used when finding concealed bunkers. If used properly – to an untrained eye – it can be hard to detect and thus making bunker fuel dissappear just like ‘magic’. These magic pipes are fabricated onboard by marine engineers and desgined to fit tighly inside the actual sounding pipe. The bottom end of the magic pipe is closed and the pipe pushed through the fuel to the bottom of the tank. During sounding, the tank thus appears empty or gives false soundings.