The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has called for further technical investigation into recent reports linking operational issues on ships to certain residual marine fuels containing compounds that may indicate the presence of shale oil. Following a review by its Technical Working Group, IBIA said the information currently available does not establish a direct causal relationship between the presence of these compounds and the reported operational problems. The association stressed that shale oil-derived hydrocarbons are a permitted feedstock under ISO 8217 and that their presence alone should not be considered evidence of fuel quality deficiencies or non-compliance. Instead, the key consideration is whether the delivered fuel complies with the standard’s requirements for composition and operational fitness. IBIA noted that the reported cases highlight the need for a better understanding of how increasingly complex marine fuel blends perform in service. It said greater transparency, traceability, quality assurance and information sharing across the marine fuel supply chain will become increasingly important as the industry adopts a wider range of feedstocks and blending components. The association said it supports further technical studies, industry collaboration and data sharing to improve understanding of fuel behaviour and operational performance, helping maintain confidence in marine fuel quality and the safe and reliable operation of ships. IBIA also noted that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has issued Bunkering Memo No. 3 of 2026 to all licensed bunker suppliers regarding the issue. The post IBIA calls for further investigation into marine fuel quality concerns appeared first on Container News .