Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has temporarily suspended the harbour craft licences of five bunker tankers due to irregularities with the vessels’ piping fixtures, an MPA spokesperson said.

Investigations are currently being carried out, however, during the suspension these bunker tankers will not be allowed to conduct any bunker deliveries, ship-to-ship operations or leave the port of Singapore, the spokesperson told World Maritime News in a statement.

All five bunker tankers aboard which the irregularities were discovered are operated by Singapore-based bunkering services provider Panoil Petroleum Pte Ltd.

The company currently operates 11 vessels, according to data provided on its website.

At the beginning of 2017, MPA Singapore issued 51 companies with bunker survey licence to operate in the Port of Singapore which are valid from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.

Since the licensing scheme was first announced in October 2014, MPA has been engaging the bunker surveying industry on the details of the scheme. The licensing scheme will raise the standards of bunker surveying companies and allow MPA to have greater regulatory oversight of bunker surveying companies and bunker surveyors, the authority earlier said.