{"id":32629,"date":"2024-10-31T09:40:56","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T09:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/?post_type=insight&#038;p=32629"},"modified":"2025-08-06T17:01:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T16:01:44","slug":"a-technical-aspect-of-sampling-of-hydrocarbon-products","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/insight\/a-technical-aspect-of-sampling-of-hydrocarbon-products\/","title":{"rendered":"A Technical Aspect of Sampling of Hydrocarbon Products"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"32629\" class=\"elementor elementor-32629\" data-elementor-post-type=\"insight\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d865d26 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"54615\" data-id=\"d865d26\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-57003cb\" data-eae-slider=\"19587\" data-id=\"57003cb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a00e282 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a00e282\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the maritime industry, tanker vessels are chartered to carry various products and as part of this remit, the shippers are required to conduct sampling to ensure that the cargo being loaded is of a suitable quality and meets a particular specification or contractual requirement.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this article, we provide brief explanations for some of the technical aspects of the sampling of hydrocarbon products (such as petroleum, fuel, and oil) in tanks, the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">different types of samples to<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> obtain a representative composite sample of a tank for analysis and the trend of including the bottom sample.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Energy Institute (EI) and American Petroleum Institute (API) committees, under the cover of various publications, consider sampling methodology as evidence of best industry practices in manual sampling of hydrocarbon products in both ship and shore tanks. Guidance on sampling can be found in the following:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afdb9a3 elementor-align-left elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"afdb9a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"8.305\" height=\"15.142\" viewBox=\"0 0 8.305 15.142\"><path id=\"Path_185\" data-name=\"Path 185\" d=\"M0,0,5.536,7.572,0,15.143H2.768L8.3,7.572,2.768,0Z\" transform=\"translate(0 0)\" fill=\"#007aa3\" opacity=\"0.998\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">API MPMS Chapter 8.1 Standard Practice for manual sampling of petroleum and petroleum products 6th Edition 2022. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"8.305\" height=\"15.142\" viewBox=\"0 0 8.305 15.142\"><path id=\"Path_185\" data-name=\"Path 185\" d=\"M0,0,5.536,7.572,0,15.143H2.768L8.3,7.572,2.768,0Z\" transform=\"translate(0 0)\" fill=\"#007aa3\" opacity=\"0.998\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">ASTM D4057 \u2013 22 Standard Practice for manual sampling of petroleum and petroleum products. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"8.305\" height=\"15.142\" viewBox=\"0 0 8.305 15.142\"><path id=\"Path_185\" data-name=\"Path 185\" d=\"M0,0,5.536,7.572,0,15.143H2.768L8.3,7.572,2.768,0Z\" transform=\"translate(0 0)\" fill=\"#007aa3\" opacity=\"0.998\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">HM93 1st Edition \u201cGuide to Manual Sampling of Hydrocarbon Products\u201d. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-953765e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"953765e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As set out in API MPMS Chapter 8.1, the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">intention behind the sampling is to obtain a small sample that is representative, either of a particular point in the tank, or of the cargo in the tank as a whole.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ol start=\"8\"><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Manual Sampling Concepts and Objective\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li><\/ol><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a78.1 Objective of Manual Sampling -The objective of manual sampling varies. In some instances, the intention is to obtain a small portion of product that is representative of the tank or container contents. In other instances, samples are specifically intended to represent product only at that one particular point in the tank, such as a top, dead bottom, or suction level sample. When a tank is determined to be homogenous, a series of spot samples may be combined to create a composite sample.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">API MPMS Chapter 8.1 also defines a representative sample as:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:993,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a7\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">3.3.19 representative sample &#8211; a portion extracted from the total volume that contains the constituents in the same proportions that are present in that total volume.<\/span><\/i><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-92cf2fe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"92cf2fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">To put this into context a single litre sample may be required to be representative of a tank that holds many thousands of litres of product.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The definitions of the various level samples in API MPMS Chapter 8.1 are as set out below:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.8 dead bottom sample &#8211; a sample obtained from the lowest accessible point in a tank. This is typically directly from the floor (or datum plate) of the shore tank or the bottom of the vessel compartment.<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.3 bottom sample &#8211; a spot sample collected from the material at the bottom of the tank, container, or line at its lowest point. In practice, the term bottom sample has a variety of meanings. As a result, it is recommended that the exact sampling location (for example 15 cm (6 in.) from the bottom) should be specified when using this term.<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.16 lower sample- a spot sample of liquid from the middle of the lower one-third of the tank&#8217;s content (a distance of five-sixths of the depth liquid below the liquid&#8217;s surface).<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.17 middle sample &#8211; a spot sample taken from the middle of a tank&#8217;s contents (a distance of one half of the depth of liquid below the liquid&#8217;s surface).<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3309 upper sample &#8211; a spot sample taken from the middle of the upper one third of the tank&#8217;s contents (a distance of one-sixth of the depth of the liquid below the liquid&#8217;s surface).<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.28 top sample &#8211; a spot sample obtained 15 cm (6 in.) below the top surface of the liquid.<\/span><\/i><\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.24 surface sample (skim sample) &#8211; a spot sample skimmed from the surface of a liquid in a tank.<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.20 running sample &#8211; a sample obtained by lowering an open sampling device to the bottom of the outlet suction level, but always above free water, and returning it to the top of the product at a uniform rate such that the sampling device is between 70 and 85 % full when withdrawn from the product.<\/span><\/i><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44ac242 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"44ac242\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">API MPMS Chapter 8.1 further states <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">inter alia<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.6 composite sample &#8211; a sample prepared by combining a number of samples and treated as a single sample.<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><ul><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a73.3.25 tank composite sample &#8211; a blend created from a single tank, as an example combining the upper, middle, and lower samples. For tank of uniform cross section, the blend consists of equal parts of the three samples. A combination of other samples may also be used, such as running, all-levels or additional spot samples.<\/span><\/i><\/li><li>\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some samples, such as Skim, Top, Bottom and Dead Bottom samples are representative of specific levels within a tank and so are not representative of the tank\u2019s contents as a whole.\u00a0 They are only representative of the material at the position\/level from which they are taken.\u00a0 Such \u201cspot\u201d sample types are shown in Figure 1.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5874dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c5874dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"510\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115703.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-32644\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115703.png 510w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115703-300x266.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Figure 1 - HM 93 \u2013 Schematic of Spot Samples in an Oil Tank <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63a4296 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"63a4296\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"433\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115849.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-32645\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115849.png 433w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-115849-289x300.png 289w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"> Figure 2 - API MPMS Chapter 8.1 \u2013 Common Spot Samples <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9cb9e06 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9cb9e06\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For marine shipments Upper, Middle and Lower (U\/M\/L) samples in equal parts from each tank are generally adequate for creating a representative volumetric composite sample of the individual tank.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">However, as set out in the API Standards, if the initial U\/M\/L samples show the cargo in the tank is non-homogeneous, it is recommended that <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">additional spot samples at equidistant multiple levels should be taken.&nbsp;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Furthermore, as set out in HM93 \u00a73.3, U\/M\/L samples <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c\u2026should not be confused with Top and Bottom samples. Top and bottom samples cannot be relied upon to be representative of the bulk quality\u201d <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and should not be used in the creation of a representative sample.&nbsp; They are used to determine the stratification and analysed in isolation with any technical interpretation thereafter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">API MPMS Chapter 8.1 raises the issue regarding water contents and non-homogeneity:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a79.2.8.1 Water in Petroleum &#8211; The concentration of dispersed water in the oil is generally higher near the bottom of a tank or pipeline. A running or all-level sample, or a composite sample of the upper, middle, and lower samples, may not be representative of the concentration of the dispersed water present. The interface between oil and free water may be difficult to locate.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a79.2.9 Depending on the extent of stratification, it can be very difficult to obtain a representative manual sample. Spot samples, such as upper, middle and lower (UML), or top, middle and bottom (TMB) are recommended to establish the extent of stratification. Running or all-levels samples will contain all product layers in the vertical column from the sample point, although the rate of fill will be variable based on the depth of the product. Even with care, it may not be possible to exactly reproduce a manual sample from a nonhomogeneous or stratified tank.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a79.2.9 Spot samples may be taken to assess the level of stratification of a particular property within a shore tank or marine vessel compartment. <\/span><\/i><\/li><li><i><span data-contrast=\"none\"><br><\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sampling to create a representative sample of the bulk of the oil requires care and diligence. For example, a Bottom (B) (15\u202fcm from the bottom) or Dead (absolute) Bottom (DB) samples are taken where, if water is present, there is likely to be a predominantly higher water content than compared to the bulk of the cargo above. If a Bottom or Dead Bottom sample is included in the composite with the Upper (U) (1\/6<span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> level from the surface), Middle (M) (3\/6<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> from the surface or from the tank bottom) and the Lower (L) (1\/6<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> from the tank bottom), then there is a disproportionate volume of lower sample volumes (50%) in the composite sample to be analysed (Table 1). Such a \u2018composite\u2019 may not be representative of the bulk cargo as a whole.&nbsp; <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Inclusion of the Bottom sample 15 cm from the tank bottom has a disproportionate and potentially dramatic impact such as with ISO 8217 marine heavy fuel oil having a maximum water content specification of 0.5\u202fvol%.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This can be shown by the calculation in Table 1.&nbsp; Consider a tank with a cross sectional area of 100\u202fsqm and liquid heel of 10 metres, which contains a nominal 1,000 cbm.&nbsp;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> I<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">f a Bottom sample with a water content of 2\u202fvol% is included, it contributes a disproportionate amount to the overall water content of a U\/M\/L\/B volumetric composite sample.&nbsp; If the Upper, Middle and Lower samples have a homogenous water content of 0.3% then the derived water content of the apparent representative sample is 0.73\u202fvol% and does not meet the 0.5\u202fvol% water content specified by ISO 8127 for marine heavy fuel oil.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, the Bottom sample actually forms only a 5% (or less depending upon the relative height of the liquid heel) proportional volume to the overall oil volume.&nbsp; So, if the Bottom sample\u2019s contribution to the volumetric composite sample is commensurate to its proportional volume the resultant water content is only 0.39% meeting the ISO Marine Fuel Oil specification.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is for this reason that Dead Bottom and Bottom samples are not included in the composite sample as they do not represent the whole volume of the cargo. This point is not only of significance in relation to bottom layers; it may apply to any stratified layer in a tank and indeed other potential parameters where the spot samples may induce a bias.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bae4ea4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bae4ea4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-134405-1024x341.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-32664\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-134405-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-134405-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-134405-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-07-134405.png 1026w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Table 1 \u2013 Comparison of including Bottom Sample in a Composite Sample <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-91041ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"91041ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition, if, for example, there was a free water depth of say 2 to 3 cm on the bottom of the ship\u2019s tank, a properly taken Dead Bottom sample could result in the whole sample being filled with water.\u00a0 A free water sounding of 5 cm may represent a maximum of 5 cbm of cargo, a minute percentage overall, but the sample\u2019s inclusion in a composite could have a significant and disproportionate impact depending on how many samples are used to prepare the composite.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is critical that <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">decisions as to how to address quality issues are based upon analysis of a representative U\/M\/L sample or, if the cargo is stratified and non-homogeneous in the tank, then more, equidistant, level samples (perhaps at continuous 1 metre intervals) should be taken and analysed to allow assessment of each stratified layer. A properly taken running sample can also be considered but may have limitations as set out in API MPMS Chapter 8.1 <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c\u00a79.5.3 <\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u2026. running and all-levels samples may not necessarily be representative because the tank volume may not be proportional to the depth, and the rate of filling is proportional to the square root of the depth of immersion.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In summary, Bottom and Dead Bottom Spot Samples should generally be excluded from representative composite samples.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In any event, the sampling strategy and any samples drawn are key in establishing an accurate profile of the product and extent of possible contamination, and an appropriate mitigation strategy in bulk liquid claims.\u00a0 They are also key to establishing the potential cause and source of <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">contamination and recovery, notwithstanding exercising due diligence in careful storage, handling and carriage of the petroleum product.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:851,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335559991&quot;:851,&quot;469777462&quot;:[3544],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[1]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-394086d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"394086d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 data-redactor-inserted-image=\"true\"><span style=\"color: #0a527a;\">Ho<\/span><span style=\"color: #0a527a;\">w Can Hawkins Help?<\/span><\/h4><p>Our Chemists and Marine Consultants can:<\/p><p>\u00a0&#8211; Provide advice on the most appropriate sampling methodology for ship and shore tanks with due consideration of the nature of the products and issues of concern;<\/p><p>\u00a0&#8211; Provide analytical and technical investigations to understand whether the product meets the specification;<\/p><p>\u00a0&#8211; Identify the parameters and issues of concern;<\/p><p>\u00a0&#8211; Assist in potential mitigation strategies;<br \/>investigate causation;<\/p><p>&#8211; Assess whether due diligence was exercised in the storage, handling and carriage of petroleum products;<\/p><p>&#8211; Consider whether ship and shore operations accord with good practice.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6422fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6422fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-5b051e9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5b051e9\" data-element_type=\"section\"><div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\"><div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-68e6efb\" data-id=\"68e6efb\" data-element_type=\"column\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/experts\/stewart-horan\/\">Captain Stewart Horan<\/a> is a Master Mariner and a Principal Associate in Hawkins. <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW119235376 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"2 MTD List Body Normal\">Stewart has given evidence in the High Court and at Arbitration in United Kingdom, Oslo and Singapore on the carriage and handling of cargo, navigation, groundings, tanker operations, ship vetting, ship management and general shipboard operations including ship-to-ship (STS) transfers.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e653e27 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"14137\" data-id=\"e653e27\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cf762b0\" data-eae-slider=\"11720\" data-id=\"cf762b0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, we provide brief explanations for some of the technical aspects of the sampling of hydrocarbon products in tanks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":33152,"parent":0,"template":"","insight_category":[],"experties":[67],"class_list":["post-32629","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","experties-marine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hydrocarbon Sampling: Forensic Best Practices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore best practices in sampling hydrocarbon products for forensic analysis, including API standards and composite sample methods.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/insight\/a-technical-aspect-of-sampling-of-hydrocarbon-products\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta 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