MARINE FUELS

INTRODUCTION

Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) is a combination

of Distillate and Residual

Fuel.

Distillate and residual fuels are blended into various combinations to

derive the different grades of marine fuel oil.

In terms of cost, distillates are more expensive than intermediates, and

residual fuels are the least expensive.

Distillates and/or residual fuel oil stocks are blended with blending
components or cutter stocks to achieve internationally accepted product
specifications provided by the 1987 (revised in 1996) international
standard, ISO 8217, that defines the requirements for fuel grades for use
in marine diesel engines.

TYPES OF MARINE FUELS

FUEL TYPE

FUEL GRADE

COLLOQUIAL INDUSTRY
NAME

Distillate

DMX, DMA, DMB,

DMC

MGO & MDO

Intermedia
te

RME/F 25
RMG/H 35

Marine Diesel Fuel or

Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO 180,
IFO 380, IFO 500 & IFO 700)

Residual

RMA RMH, RMK &

RML

Fuel Oil or Residual Fuel Oil

BLENDING STOCKS
STRAIGHT RUN REFINERY

COMPLEX REFINERY

Produce Straight Run Stocks used in

marine fuel blending.

Derive similar blending stock

components as the output from FCC
unit.

Includes light diesel, heavy diesel

and straight run residue.

Includes light & heavy diesel as well

as LCO & HCO. HCO also comes from
residual output from visbreaker units.

These blending stocks are further mixed with existing

product streams from a refinery to manufacture a variety
of marine fuel grades.

MARINE GAS OIL

MGO

LCO + Distillate Oil

Highest Marine Fuel grade
Expensive
Lighter fraction and better quality fuel.
For faster moving engines

MARINE DISTILLATE OIL

MDO

KERO + LGO + DGO or

DMC + Residual Fuel (10 15%)
DMA & DMB used in small to medium size
vessels.
DMC is heavier fuel but sometimes called as
intermediate fuel as it can be blended with
residual fuel.
Expensive if compared to intermediate fuels.

INTERMEDIATE FUEL OIL

IFO

RMG 35 or IFO 380 the most commonly used

grade.
Manufactured at refinery
Visbroken Residue + HCO + LCO
High sulfur content, i.e. 5%
RME 25 or IFO 180 another well known grade.
Lower viscosity and metal content but the same
sulfur content.