Why the stem is planned before the vessel arrives
A bunker requirement off Lagos is usually settled in a hurry: the vessel nears the anchorage, the chief engineer sends a figure, and the operator asks for prices. By then the main choices have already narrowed. The grade available, the barge schedule and the window in which the vessel can safely receive fuel are all easier to secure when the stem is planned during the voyage rather than on arrival.
Good planning answers three questions together: how much fuel the vessel genuinely needs, how the operator will know the fuel delivered is the fuel ordered, and when the vessel and the barge can both be ready at the same position.
Quantity: work from the voyage, not the tank capacity
Start from the vessel's fuel remaining on board at the expected delivery time, not at the moment the enquiry is sent. Add the consumption for the onward voyage, the consumption while waiting at anchorage or alongside, and a margin agreed with the master and chief engineer. Ships calling at Nigerian ports can spend longer at anchorage than planned, and that waiting time burns fuel and diesel for generators.
Check the figure against tank capacity, segregation and the need to keep different deliveries apart until test results are back. Charterers and owners should also confirm what the charterparty says about quantities on delivery and redelivery, so that the stem does not create a dispute later.
Quality: agree it before the hose is connected
Fuel quality is protected by procedure. Confirm the grade and specification in writing with the supplier, including the standard the fuel must meet and any limits required for the vessel's machinery or trading area. Agree the sampling method, the sampling point, how many samples are drawn, who seals and signs them, and where each sample goes.
Send a sample for laboratory testing as soon as delivery is complete, and keep the new fuel segregated until the results are back where the vessel's tank arrangement allows. A clear sample record and an independent test are what settle any later question about the fuel, far more than a discussion at the manifold.
Timing: anchorage, alongside and the window between
Off Lagos a vessel can usually take fuel at one of three points in the call. Whichever is chosen, give the supplier an honest window with its likely variation, and give notice the moment the vessel's schedule moves. Most bunker delays come from a window that changed without anyone telling the barge.
| Delivery option | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| At anchorage while waiting for a berth | Sea state, barge transit time, and the risk of the berth being called during delivery |
| Alongside during cargo work | Terminal permission, berth layout and the cargo plan competing for crew and deck space |
| On departure before sailing | A firm sailing time, and a delivery that cannot delay the pilot or the tide |
Planning your next bunker call with Vandyvah
Vandyvah coordinates bunkering for owners, operators and charterers calling at Lagos and other Nigerian ports. We confirm the requirement and specification with the vessel, coordinate the supplier and barge against the vessel's actual window, keep the vessel and supplier informed as timing moves, and make sure quantity, sampling and delivery documents are completed and returned with a completion report.
If your vessel will need fuel off Lagos, contact our operations team while it is still on passage. Settling the quantity, the quality procedure and the delivery window before arrival is the most effective way to take fuel in one clean operation without adding waiting time to the call.
Bunker stem off Lagos: before the barge is committed
- fuel remaining on board estimated for the delivery time
- onward voyage and anchorage consumption calculated with an agreed margin
- tank capacity and segregation checked for the planned quantity
- grade and specification confirmed in writing with the supplier
- sampling method, sampling point and sample custody agreed
- laboratory testing arranged for the delivered fuel
- delivery location and window agreed, with notice of changes
- named person on board and ashore to accept changes on the day
Where delay usually develops
- stems sized after arrival instead of during the voyage
- anchorage waiting time left out of the quantity
- specification or sampling procedure settled at the manifold
- vessel window changing without notice to the barge
- weather or sea state limiting delivery at anchorage
What the principal should prepare
- fuel remaining on board and the onward voyage plan
- grade, specification and any charterparty requirements
- tank arrangement, manifold details and vessel readiness
- the commercial and payment arrangement with the supplier
What Vandyvah can coordinate
- requirement and specification confirmation with the vessel
- supplier and barge scheduling against the vessel's window
- vessel and supplier communication as timing moves
- witnessed sampling and sample distribution records
- delivery documentation and a completion report