Fuel bunkering and consumption monitoring on seismic vessels

The marine geophysical company Polarcus offers contract marine seismic acquisition services and data imaging to the global exploration and production industry. Its modern fleet of high performance 3D seismic vessels is the youngest and cleanest within the industry. In order to minimize the environmental footprint, all vessels of their fleet have been equipped with emissions reducing or eliminating technologies.

Consumption monitoring is crucial to the company’s effort to increase energy efficiency and to reduce emissions. This requires clear and consistent daily, weekly and monthly fuel consumption data as well as information for bunkering verification. The customer was therefore searching for a complete solution to accurately and reliably monitor the bunkering and consumption of their low-sulfur MGO fuel (Marine Gas Oil). This also required the use of flowmeters with a high accuracy (of ±0.05% of MV) even at lower flow rates. DNV marine approvals were compulsory.

Polarcus decided in favour of a solution combining the EcoMATE™ fuel consumption and carbon emission monitoring system with KROHNE Coriolis mass flowmeters. EcoMATE™ enables onboard monitoring and reporting of fuel consumption, provides key emission data as well as bunkering verification. It consists of hardware (I/O box with power supply, signal interface, network connections, Marine type approved computers and printers for reports) and a modular software solution for consumption and bunkering monitoring, report generation and email communication to shore offices.

The monitoring system uses the mass, density and temperature measurements of the Coriolis mass flowmeters. Six OPTIMASS 6400 F Coriolis mass flowmeters were installed in the fuel supply lines to the various consumers. One OPTIMASS 2400 F was mounted directly before the MGO bunker. All sensors and field converters of the flowmeters have the required Marine approvals (DNV GL).

Polarcus was so satisfied as to equip various vessels of their fleet with the KROHNE solution. The shipowner is now able to monitor each vessel type with a single integrated tool. The EcoMATE™ system and Coriolis flowmeters provide the customer with continuous, reliable and accurate data, without any need for periodic maintenance. The acquired data help the company optimize engine performance and reduce emissions. In order to monitor fuel oil costs and to be able to verify the amount of fuel oil received during bunkering operation, EcoMATE™ provides an overview of all corresponding flow readings. In this way, the system also allows the onboard crew to double check the fuel supplier’s delivery information and fuel oil costs.

Working together with the main instrumentation vendor KROHNE payed off for the customer. From consultation and project management to the supply of the monitoring system and the flowmeters to the integration of the whole solution into the existing infrastructure of the customer – everything has been provided from one source.