Marine Oil Transportation Information

Fuel quality and management

Key highlights

HMC-4 focuses on developing and publishing industry best practice guidance and data analysis for cargoes transported on vessels and barges. The group collaborates with major industry organisations such as API, OCIMF, inspection companies (TIC - IFIA), Intertanko, EBOTA and terminal operators.

The HMC4A group compiles and analyses crude oil voyage data to benchmark cargo quantity losses during shipment.

The groups meet twice per year. Membership is open to all organisations involved in oil transportation involved with oil cargo quantity and quality.

Last update - April 2025

The last update was April 2025 with temperature data from the 2024 database.

Meetings

  • The fall meeting was held in Houston, November 12-13th, 2025.
  • The spring meeting will be held in Lisbon, May 12-13th 2026.

Contact

If you have any questions about the committee please contact [email protected]

Voyage data

Measurements

Using measurements from individual voyages provided by HMC-4A committee members, measurement differences including Bill of Lading vs Outturn and ship/shore comparisons are calculated each year for the majority of traded crude oil grades.

The data is reported to members by grade, load port, discharge port and vessel; focusing on the loss and standard deviation at each stage of the voyage.

Examples of the data (analysis by grade) can be viewed through the measurement link. Please contact [email protected] if you would like more details about the committee.

Temperatures

Load and discharge temperatures are submitted by members; these are presented for information in the table below.

Grade Load Average, DegC Load StDev, DegC Disch. Average, DegC Disch. StDev, DegC Number of records (Load)
Aasta Hansteen 11.1 1.5 10.7 2 4
Abo 33.4 1 28.3 3.1 5
Agbami 30.3 1.6 28.5 1.8 26
Akpo 31 2.3 29.4 2 5
Al Shaheen 39.5 2.7 34.9 2.6 23
Alaskan North Slope 10.7 3.8 11.8 4.2 169
Alba 22.8 10.8 32.1 11.5 4
Altamira 32.2 2.8 43.9 2.1 23
Alvheim 32.7 4.2 30 3.6 25
Amenam Blend 32 1.5 28.4 7.1 6
Amna 25.6 3.4 33.3 5.4 39
Amna/Sirtica 25.4 2.7 33.4 7.3 14
Anasuria 16.6 3.1 21.6 4.9 4
Antan 29.1 2.8 28.2 2.6 4
Apiay 36.4 1.1 32.5 3.8 18
Arabian Extra Light 38.4 11.2 33.5 4.1 36
Arabian Heavy 31.1 3.5 32 4.7 15
Arabian Light 37.9 9.4 29.6 3.5 127
Asgard 16.1 3.3 16 3.4 27
Azeri 25 3.3 24.8 3.6 152
Bakken 15.9 6.7 13.4 7.5 58
Balder 24.8 3.4 23.1 3.5 17
Baleine 38.5 1.5 32.4 6.6 9
Banyu Urip 58.9 1.1 52.9 3.5 4
Baobab 29.5 1.7 28.4 2 5
Barrow Island 27.5 2 29.9 0.1 5
Basrah Heavy 37 4.6 30.1 4.2 38
Basrah Medium 37.9 5.9 28.1 4.5 118
Beryl 16.6 2 16.4 2 11
Bonga 38.3 2.1 32.1 1.6 20
Bonny Light 29.9 1.4 26.2 1.9 6
Bouri 32.5 3.2 40.1 4.1 13
Brass River 29.2 1.2 27.7 11.2 6
Brega 25.3 4.5 24.2 4.2 35
Brent Blend 13.9 3.3 16 2.9 12
Bu Attifel 56.2 2.1 57.3 2.5 17
Buzios 37.3 2.9 30.7 3.1 68
Cabinda 34.9 2.9 30.1 2.5 15
Captain 34.9 2.6 35.5 1.9 13
Castilla Blend 36.8 1 33.8 2.7 98
Catcher 31.7 3.2 29.5 2.5 19
Ceiba 30.5 2.1 29.3 1.6 8
Chaza 31.1 1 32.4 1.7 8
CJ Blend 36.7 3.2 23.6 6.6 4
Clair 12.4 8.1 10.8 3 36
Clov 37.7 2.1 32.7 2.7 14
Coldlake 22.9 6.8 21.8 6 51
Condensate 15.9 18.7 21.1 7.9 42
Congo Composite 44.4 1.1 42.5 4.9 5
CPC Blend 39.1 4.9 32 6.6 463
Culzean 21.1 3.6 28.8 1.4 10
Dalia 43.7 1.9 34.9 2.4 20
Das Blend 41 2.7 36.2 2.5 69
Djeno 39.6 3 32.1 1.8 24
Doba Blend 29 0.9 41.6 4.6 15
Dolphin Condensate 32.2 6.7 34.5 2.9 5
Draugen 28.4 1.5 23.4 6 7
Dumbarton 13.6 2.3 26.2 3 4
Dussafu 36.1 3.1 37.1 5.5 11
Eagle Ford 25.9 4.6 25.6 3.2 39
Eagle Ford Light 26.3 4.9 27.4 2.3 30
Ekofisk 20.4 2.2 20 3.5 86
El Sharara 27.6 4 25.7 3.7 50
Eocene 31.5 7.3 30.8 5.6 25
Erha 35.1 3.4 30.8 1.5 4
Es Sider 25.7 4.5 28 4.2 85
Escalante 31.3 4.9 45.1 5.2 7
Escravos 33.8 1.7 29 2.2 32
Etame Marin 49.7 0.7 49 1.1 4
Flotta Gold 20.6 3.4 25.3 3 9
Forcados Blend 32.6 2.4 23.4 5.4 29
Forties Blend 24 2.6 21.3 2.9 33
Frade 32.2 2.1 26.7 4.7 5
Gela 33 7.9 44.1 3.6 4
Gina Krog 32.2 3.9 29.7 4.2 4
Girassol 39.8 4.6 25.3 5.3 16
Goliat 31.5 2 27 3.1 9
Gorgon Condensate 32.4 2.8 31.1 2.5 8
Grane 10.8 2.2 10.9 1.6 101
Gudrun Blend 20.4 3.1 19.4 3.5 12
Gullfaks 30.3 2 27.9 3.1 65
Hamaca Blend 57.8 7.9 45.9 5 11
Hanze 31.4 18.9 21 17.2 4
Heavy Louisiana Sweet 23.3 4.7 26.9 3.8 40
Hebron 36 3.5 34.4 4.8 41
Heidrun 17.9 2.4 17 3 19
Hibernia 27.8 4.5 28.8 5.8 50
Hungo Blend 35.5 2.7 24.4 9.1 9
Iracema 33.9 1.7 29.4 3.1 6
Isthmus 32.5 2.6 30.1 3.3 118
Johan Sverdrup 11.8 1 13.3 3 306
Jubilee 33.3 8.3 27.1 5.6 13
Kazakh Export Blend 14.5 2.9 14.1 4.2 12
Khafji 29.6 3.8 31.7 3.2 7
Kissanje 36.6 2.2 29.9 1.5 14
Kutubu 30.2 2.2 29.5 1.9 6
Lancaster 30 1.9 31.6 0.4 5
Lapa 44 8.9 38.4 3.8 4
Liza 44.2 6.3 36.2 4.7 39
Lokele 28.6 0.9 28.2 1.8 5
Louisiana Light Sweet 25 5.9 24.4 6.8 50
Malampaya Condensate 33.5 2 32.7 1.8 4
Mandji 33.3 2.5 30.1 3.9 7
Mares 34.3 1.4 33.4 4.5 25
Mariner 45.2 3.4 40.9 9.4 14
Mars 25.3 3.4 23.1 4.6 17
Martin Linge 33.7 5 28.1 4.9 12
Maya 40.7 4.8 36.3 4.5 156
Medanito 21.7 5.2 22.7 4.2 18
Mellitah 25.4 4 24.1 4.3 47
Merey 16 43.6 4.6 38.3 4.6 49
Mero 38 2.4 30.9 3.8 28
Mixed Sweet Blend 18.7 3.9 18.3 3.2 9
Mizton 42.6 1.5 26.8 3.7 6
Molo 31.5 1 30.6 1.7 4
Montara 30.7 1.6 33.4 3.7 7
Murban 44.1 6.4 34.6 5.7 153
Nemba 37 1.9 28.7 1.6 17
Nembe 32.2 0.7 30.3 2.1 6
Njord 27.2 1.7 27.9 6.7 18
N'Kossa 29.5 2.4 29 1.3 13
Norne 19.4 5.1 18.8 4.6 8
NWS Condensate 32.1 3.5 33.6 3.8 9
Okwuibome Blend 32.4 1.5 29.4 2.6 12
Olmeca 32.5 1 26.6 2.5 12
Olombendo 37.2 2.6 30.2 2.6 10
Oseberg 30.7 2.5 26.4 4.6 35
Patos Marinza 58.2 3.7 58 2.9 24
Payara Gold 41 4.9 35.6 4.7 77
Pazflor 42.5 3 33.3 3.9 17
Peregrino 59.8 3.1 61 3.5 25
Pierce 21.8 2.8 21.3 2.6 4
Plutonio 34.6 3.4 32.2 2.6 10
Qing Huang Dao 69.2 1.8 62.3 10.5 10
Qua Iboe 31.2 2.5 28.9 2.9 18
Rabi Blend 42 3.6 41.4 3.6 11
Rabi Light 37.2 5.1 42.1 6.8 6
Ratawi 29.2 7.8 30.1 4.3 30
Saharan Blend 29 4.5 26.3 5.8 112
Sankofa 45.2 2.3 34.4 6.9 6
Sarir/Mesla 30.1 2.7 35.5 3.5 11
Saxi Batuque 29.6 1.8 28.8 0.9 8
Schiehallion 36.7 3.8 34.8 3.2 27
Sepia 37.2 2.7 29.9 3.7 16
Seria Light 31.2 0.8 31.9 0.7 4
Sirtica 24.3 3.4 27.1 7 36
Skarv 18.3 5 18.4 3.1 8
Solan 17.5 3.7 16.9 3.5 4
South Arne 24.9 2.6 22.7 3.4 12
South Louisiana Intermediate 26.5 2 27.4 4.3 6
Southern Green Canyon 25.9 2.8 23.7 3.3 16
Statfjord 26.5 4.1 24.5 3.6 24
Synthetic Crude Oil 20.7 8.3 19.8 7.7 19
Tempa Rossa 35.9 5.8 36 5.5 14
Terra Nova 19.3 4.6 28.2 9.1 11
Thunderhorse 25.3 3.4 24.3 4.5 12
Triton 29.5 3.6 26.1 4.5 9
Troll 10.8 1.4 13.3 3.1 13
Tupi 38.4 4.9 25.3 5.4 52
Umm Lulu 36.6 2.6 36 3.2 11
Unity Gold 40.4 4.4 35.5 4.6 82
Upper Zakum 36.4 5.4 34.3 4.5 103
Usan 31 1.3 27.9 4.9 5
Vasconia 35.6 1.9 33 2.1 51
West Texas Intermediate 30.1 9 26.7 4.7 727
West Texas Intermediate Light 32.2 8.7 25.8 4.4 104
Western Desert 28.8 3.3 29.3 3.3 10
Wheatstone Condensate 26.1 3.2 27.9 2.5 14
Wytch Farm 14.7 4.6 14.9 4.3 7
Yme 31.9 2.9 30.7 4.7 27
Zapoteco 33.5 1.7 29.2 2.4 4
Zarzaitine 23.3 6.7 21.9 6.1 15
Zueitina 31.8 4.2 34.6 3.7 11

EI HM40 Publication

23 February 2023

HM 40. Guidelines for the crude oil washing of ships' tanks and the heating of crude oil being transported by sea

This publication is available to download for free by registering/logging in to this site.

The latest version of Annex B can be downloaded.

This publication provides guidelines for the carriage, heating and crude oil washing (COW) of many crude oils that may be transported by sea.

As well as enhancing the current regulations regarding reducing marine pollution, the publication provides guidance on the grades of crude oil that may give rise to an increase in volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions if used excessively for COW. The publication also highlights a number of crude oils that are known to be potentially harmful due to concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and/or benzene...

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