Don`t paint it black

Revised lub oil formulations appear to have tackled problems of black paint.

The problem of so-called black paint and sludge in medium-speed engines caused by fuel contamination of the lub oils seemed to be matter of concern a couple of years ago. The deposits were not only unsightly but caused problems for shipowners.

However, the lub oil companies – for the most part – introduced revised formulations of lub oils designed to handle the problem. In many ways there is confusion in the shipping world – both from lub oil companies and ship owners – about the exact impact of the problem. Some owners – such as Carnival – says it is completely baffled since it has never been aware of any problem with black sludge.

Others, such as P&O Cruises and P&O Stena Line, argue that this is not the case since the problem did affect their operations.