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Fuel Oil180 · 280 · 380 CST & Furnace Oil

Heavy residual fuel oil sourced from the Middle East and blended at our own facilities. Three viscosity grades for marine, industrial and power-generation use.

Fuel oil is the heaviest commercial fraction from crude distillation — richer in energy density than any lighter cut, and priced accordingly.

Kinematic viscosity at 50 °C — cSt
180 CST — lightest grade180
280 CST — intermediate280
380 CST — heaviest grade380

Higher CST = thicker oil = higher energy density and lower cost per GJ — but greater preheating infrastructure demands.

Grade comparison

180 vs 280 vs 380 CST

All three are heavy residual fuel oils from the same crude fraction — the difference is viscosity, which drives preheat requirements, applications and handling complexity.

Property
Fuel Oil 180 CST
Fuel Oil 280 CST
Fuel Oil 380 CST
Kinematic viscosity at 50 °C
≤ 180 cStLowest — flows easier
≤ 280 cStIntermediate
≤ 380 cStHighest — thickest
Preheat for pumping
~40–50 °CLeast infrastructure
~80–100 °CHeated tanks needed
~100–120 °CSteam-traced lines required
Preheat for atomisation
~100 °C
~110–120 °C
~120–130 °CFull preheat system
Density at 15 °C
≤ 991 kg/m³
≤ 991 kg/m³
≤ 991 kg/m³
Vanadium content
≤ 150 mg/kg
≤ 200 mg/kg
≤ 350 mg/kgHigher metals load
Carbon residue (micro)
≤ 15% m/m
≤ 18% m/m
≤ 20% m/m
Sulphur — HSFO
≤ 3.5% m/m
≤ 3.5% m/m
≤ 3.5% m/m
Sulphur — VLSFO (IMO 2020)
≤ 0.5% m/m
≤ 0.5% m/m
≤ 0.5% m/m
Flash point
≥ 60 °C
≥ 60 °C
≥ 60 °C
ISO 8217 grade
RMD 80
RME 180
RMG 380
Typical applications
Industrial burners, medium-speed marine
Power stations, large industrial plants
Slow-speed 2-stroke marine engines, bulk cargo vessels
Relative cost per GJ
Highest of the threeEasiest to handle
Intermediate
LowestMost economical per GJ
Grades

180, 280 & 380 CST
in detail

CST (centistokes) is kinematic viscosity at 50 °C. Higher CST = thicker oil = lower cost per unit of energy, but greater heating and handling demands.

180
CST at 50 °C

Fuel Oil 180 CST

The lightest of the three heavy residual grades. Easier to pump and atomise than heavier grades — making it well-suited to industrial burner systems and medium-speed marine engines where full preheat infrastructure is unavailable.

Industrial & Marine
Density at 15 °C≤ 991 kg/m³
Sulphur (HSFO / VLSFO)≤ 3.5% / ≤ 0.5%
Flash point≥ 60 °C
Pour point (summer)≤ 30 °C
Ash content≤ 0.10% m/m
Water content≤ 0.50% v/v
Vanadium≤ 150 mg/kg
ISO referenceISO 8217 RMD 80
280
CST at 50 °C

Fuel Oil 280 CST

The intermediate grade — sitting between the more manageable 180 and the ultra-heavy 380. Suits large industrial plants and power stations equipped with advanced preheating. In cold climates, 380 CST is often conditioned down to this range before combustion.

Power & Industrial
Density at 15 °C≤ 991 kg/m³
Sulphur (HSFO / VLSFO)≤ 3.5% / ≤ 0.5%
Flash point≥ 60 °C
Pour point (summer)≤ 30 °C
Ash content≤ 0.10% m/m
Water content≤ 0.50% v/v
Vanadium≤ 200 mg/kg
ISO referenceISO 8217 RME 180
380
CST at 50 °C

Fuel Oil 380 CST

The dominant global bunker fuel for deep-sea shipping. Near-solid at room temperature — once preheated to 120–130 °C it atomises well in slow-speed two-stroke engines that power the world's large cargo vessels. RGE produces and blends this grade at our Kurdistan facilities.

Marine Bunker
Density at 15 °C≤ 991 kg/m³
Sulphur (HSFO / VLSFO)≤ 3.5% / ≤ 0.5%
Flash point≥ 60 °C
Pour point (summer)≤ 30 °C
Ash content≤ 0.10% m/m
Water content≤ 0.50% v/v
Vanadium≤ 350 mg/kg
ISO referenceISO 8217 RMG 380
Facility & product

Our blending
operations

Royal Global Energy produces and blends Fuel Oil 380 CST at dedicated facilities in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, Kurdistan Province, Iraq.

RGE fuel oil blending facility
Fuel oil export loading
Application

Where it's used

From the engine room of a bulk carrier to the burners of a cement kiln — residual fuel oil powers the heaviest end of global industry.

Marine propulsion

HFO 380 CST is the primary fuel for slow-speed two-stroke engines aboard bulk carriers, tankers and container ships. Its high energy density and low cost per tonne make long-distance ocean freight economical.

Power generation

Large heavy fuel oil power plants and stationary generators use 180 and 280 CST grades. High BTU content produces significant thermal output at lower fuel cost than distillates — critical for base-load generation.

Industrial heating & furnaces

Cement kilns, steel mills, glass furnaces and large boilers use furnace oil and heavy fuel oil where sustained high-temperature combustion is required continuously over long production runs.

Technical data

Full specifications

PropertyUnitLimitTest Method
Kinematic viscosity at 50 °CcSt≤ 180.0ISO 3104
Density at 15 °Ckg/m³≤ 991.0ISO 3675 / ISO 12185
Flash point (PMCC)°C≥ 60ISO 2719
Pour point (summer)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Pour point (winter)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Sulphur content — HSFO% m/m≤ 3.5ISO 8754
Sulphur content — VLSFO% m/m≤ 0.5ISO 8754
Ash content% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 6245
Water content% v/v≤ 0.50ISO 3733
Sediment (potential)% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
Carbon residue (micro)% m/m≤ 15ISO 10370
Vanadiummg/kg≤ 150ISO 14597 / IP 501
Sodiummg/kg≤ 50IP 501 / IP 470
Aluminium + Siliconmg/kg≤ 25ISO 10478 / IP 501
Total sediment aged% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
ISO 8217 RMD 80 equivalent. Contact RGE for cargo analysis certificates.
PropertyUnitLimitTest Method
Kinematic viscosity at 50 °CcSt≤ 280.0ISO 3104
Density at 15 °Ckg/m³≤ 991.0ISO 3675 / ISO 12185
Flash point (PMCC)°C≥ 60ISO 2719
Pour point (summer)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Pour point (winter)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Sulphur content — HSFO% m/m≤ 3.5ISO 8754
Sulphur content — VLSFO% m/m≤ 0.5ISO 8754
Ash content% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 6245
Water content% v/v≤ 0.50ISO 3733
Sediment (potential)% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
Carbon residue (micro)% m/m≤ 18ISO 10370
Vanadiummg/kg≤ 200ISO 14597 / IP 501
Sodiummg/kg≤ 50IP 501 / IP 470
Aluminium + Siliconmg/kg≤ 25ISO 10478 / IP 501
Total sediment aged% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
ISO 8217 RME 180 equivalent. Requires preheat infrastructure to 100–120 °C for handling.
PropertyUnitLimitTest Method
Kinematic viscosity at 50 °CcSt≤ 380.0ISO 3104
Density at 15 °Ckg/m³≤ 991.0ISO 3675 / ISO 12185
Flash point (PMCC)°C≥ 60ISO 2719
Pour point (summer)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Pour point (winter)°C≤ 30ISO 3016
Sulphur content — HSFO% m/m≤ 3.5ISO 8754
Sulphur content — VLSFO% m/m≤ 0.5ISO 8754
Ash content% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 6245
Water content% v/v≤ 0.50ISO 3733
Sediment (potential)% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
Carbon residue (micro)% m/m≤ 20ISO 10370
Vanadiummg/kg≤ 350ISO 14597 / IP 501
Sodiummg/kg≤ 100IP 501 / IP 470
Aluminium + Siliconmg/kg≤ 25ISO 10478 / IP 501
Total sediment aged% m/m≤ 0.10ISO 10307-2
ISO 8217 RMG 380 — the dominant global marine bunker specification. Blended at RGE Kurdistan blending facility.
PropertyUnitLimitTest Method
Kinematic viscosity at 50 °CcSt125–180ISO 3104
Density at 15 °Ckg/m³≤ 995.0ISO 3675
Flash point°C≥ 66ASTM D92
Pour point°C≤ 21ISO 3016
Sulphur% m/mReportISO 8754
Ash content% m/m≤ 0.10ASTM D482
Water & sediment% v/v≤ 1.0ASTM D1796
Gross calorific valueBTU/lb≥ 18,000ASTM D240
Carbon residue% m/m≤ 16ASTM D524
Furnace oil is a heavier residual fuel for burner installations. Calorific value and pour point are the key parameters for boiler operators.
Handling

Transport &
handling notes

Key requirements for the safe shipment and storage of heavy fuel oil grades.

HFO grades must be preheated before pumping and injection. Typical storage temperatures are 40–50 °C to maintain fluidity; 180 CST requires ~100 °C for atomisation, 280–380 CST requires 120–130 °C. Tanks, transfer lines and purifiers must be steam-traced or electrically heated.

Heavy fuel oil with a flash point above 60 °C is generally not regulated as a dangerous good under ADR/IMDG for bulk tanker shipment. Where classified, HFO falls under UN 3082 (Environmentally hazardous substance, liquid). Cargo manifests carry the proper shipping name FUEL OIL or HEAVY FUEL OIL.

Since January 2020, ships operating outside Emission Control Areas (ECAs) must use fuel with ≤0.5% sulphur, or fit scrubbers. RGE can supply both High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO, ≤3.5%) for scrubber-fitted vessels and Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO, ≤0.5%) for compliant vessels. ECA zones (North Sea, Baltic, North America, US Caribbean) require ≤0.1% sulphur.

HFO must be stored in heated, sealed tanks dedicated to the purpose. Tanks should be equipped with heating coils and maintained at 40–60 °C to prevent solidification. Water accumulation at the base of tanks must be regularly drained to avoid microbiological growth and pumping problems. Tanks should be labelled clearly with grade and sulphur content.

Royal Global Energy operates dedicated blending facilities and storage pools in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, Kurdistan Province, Iraq — established specifically to produce and blend Fuel Oil CST 380. The facilities include blending equipment, holding pools and storage. Middle East crude feedstock is processed to consistent quality for regional and export supply.

Documentation

Download specifications

Full data sheets for each fuel oil grade, ready to share with your engineering or procurement team.

Fuel Oil 180 CST
Specification sheet · PDF
 Fuel Oil 280 CST
Specification sheet · PDF
 Fuel Oil 380 CST
Specification sheet · PDF
 Furnace Oil
Specification sheet · PDF

Need a quote on fuel oil?

Tell us the grade (180, 280 or 380 CST), required sulphur spec (HSFO or VLSFO), volume and destination port — our trading desk will come back with pricing and lead time.