Ask the expert: get answers to your technical questions

The first of ExxonMobil’s “Ask the Expert” technical Q&As is now available on The Motorship website. The column answers a question about an unexpected cat fines issue, including possible sources of the problem and how best to deal with this type of contamination.

We examine how cat fines that have settled as sediment at the bottom of fuel tanks can be stirred up by rough seas or by the bunkering process itself, particularly when the bunkering rate is high. When this happens purifiers can become overwhelmed, letting cat fines through to the service tank and into the engine injection system.

Click here to find out how this situation can be detected and rectified before it causes costly and avoidable maintenance issue.