JULY 8, 2013 —The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has canceled Palmstone Petroleum Pte Ltd's bunker supplier license with effect from today. The action is the latest in a continuing MPA crackdown on bunkering industry malpractices.

Palmstone Petroleum Pte Ltd was found to have breached Clause 3 of the terms and conditions of the Bunkering License (Bunker Supplier) by allowing another company to use its Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs) to supply bunkers to customers of that other company.

This is the third such case this year, says MPA.

On July 1, MPA announced that it was not renewing the bunker supplier license of Coast-Channels Marine Services Pte Ltd because of a breach of Clause 3. That followed a June 24 announcement that the agency had canceled the licenses Golden Lights HS Bunkering Pte Ltd, a bunker supplier, and Shing Li Shipping Pte Ltd, a bunker craft operator.

Golden Lights was found to have breached Clause 3 by allowing another company to use its Bunker Delivery Note (BDN) to supply bunkers to the customers of that company.

Shing Li Shipping Pte Ltd was found to have breached Clause 31 of the terms and conditions of its Bunker Craft Operator license by delivering bunkers on behalf of an unlicensed company to customers of that company.

In 2012, the Port of Singapore recorded bunker sales volume of 42.7 million tonnes, retaining its position as the world's top bunkering port. MPA says that Singapore's strong performance in bunker sales can be attributed to its strategic location and to an industry structure that results in competitive bunker prices and assured quality and safety standards.