Fuel is sold by mass and, for most of the industry's history, delivered by volume. That single mismatch is the origin of nearly every quantity dispute in bunkering, and it is the gap that decades of tradecraft have been built to exploit. The stakes have risen with the price. With VLSFO running past $910 per metric ton in the spring of 2026, a two percent discrepancy on a mid-sized stem costs upward of $15,000 before the vessel has left the berth. Service providers who conduct
