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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has revoked the bunker supplier licence of Southernpec (Singapore) Pte Ltd with effect from May 29, bringing the total number of licensed marine fuel suppliers at the Asian port down to 48.

According to the MPA, a recent enforcement check revealed Southernpec's employees had engaged in "bunker malpractices", including the use of magnets to interfere with the mass flow meter (MFM) during bunkering operations.

Additionally, its cargo officers were deemed to have not accurately recorded information in bunkering documents, which breached the terms and conditions of its bunker supplier licence.

The MPA concluded that Southernpec had failed to ensure that its employees comply with the terms and conditions of the company's licence.

Last year, Southernpec was ranked 30th on the MPA's list of 51 bunker suppliers by volume, up from 34th in 2017.

Other companies to have lost their licence in Singapore over the last couple of years include Panoil Petroleum, Pegasus Maritime, Transocean Oil and Universal Energy.

In a warning to other companies, the port authority stated: "MPA reminds all bunker licensees to adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of their licences. MPA will take firm action against any licensee who has acted in contravention of its licence(s), including the suspension or revocation of licence(s)."