Overview - ISO 13739:2020 (Petroleum products - Procedures for the transfer of bunkers to vessels)
ISO 13739:2020 establishes standardized procedures and requirements for the safe, accurate and auditable transfer of marine fuels (bunkers) to vessels. The standard covers bunkering operations involving bunker tankers, road tankers and shore pipelines, and applies to pre-delivery, delivery and post-delivery checks, sampling, measurement and documentation. It was developed for the marine industry to promote consistent health, safety and environmental (HSE) practices and to support regulatory compliance (e.g., MARPOL requirements referenced in the standard).
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 13739:2020 addresses the full bunkering lifecycle and includes normative and informative guidance on:
- Responsibilities and documentation - roles of supplier, ship’s chief engineer, bunker tanker operator, and required records such as the Bunker Delivery Note (BDN).
- Pre-delivery checks and safety - HSE requirements, pre-delivery safety checklists for bunker, shore and road tanker delivery (annexes provide example checklists).
- Bunker specifications and requisitioning - procedures for specifying required fuel and issuing bunker requisitions.
- Delivery procedures - operational requirements during transfer for bunker tanker, road tanker and shore pipeline deliveries.
- Sampling and sample handling - sampling procedures, equipment, sealing and labelling of samples to ensure quality traceability.
- Quantity measurements and tank gauging - manual tank gauging procedures, measurement/calculation forms, and secondary measurement recording.
- Post-delivery documentation and recordkeeping - sample labels, delivery time logs, stock movement logbooks, and example letters of protest.
- Annexes and practical forms - normative annexes for tank gauging, sampling equipment and procedures, and multiple informative annexes with example forms and diagrams.
Practical applications and who uses it
ISO 13739:2020 is useful for:
- Ship owners, ship operators and chief engineers - to ensure correct receipt, measurement and documentation of bunker deliveries.
- Bunker suppliers and bunker tanker operators - to implement consistent delivery and sampling practices.
- Port authorities, surveyors and independent inspectors - to audit and verify compliance with measurement, sampling and documentation.
- HSE managers and compliance officers - to align bunkering operations with safety and environmental requirements.
Practical use cases include routine bunkering, dispute prevention (through standard sampling and documentation), regulatory compliance checks and internal audits.
Related standards and regulations
- ISO 8217 - Petroleum products - Specifications of marine fuels (relevant for fuel quality)
- ISO 4268 - Temperature measurements for petroleum products (manual methods)
- MARPOL Annex VI - International regulation referenced in the standard for air pollution and related bunkering obligations
Keywords: ISO 13739:2020, bunkering procedures, bunker transfer, bunker tanker, road tanker, shore pipeline, bunker delivery note, sampling, tank gauging, HSE, MARPOL.