Key takeaways
- Keep grade-specific quantities visible through order, delivery and invoice.
- Do not treat equal total tonnes as proof that the requirement was fulfilled.
- Price differences using the relevant product line.
- Obtain the responsible assessment of any proposed or recorded substitution.
Public categories reinforce the need for distinct product lines
AMP's marine-fuel table separates VLSFO, residual and distillate categories within its coastal reporting. AMP fuel-sales table
Those statistical labels do not replace the exact specification in the buyer's order. Use the accepted product descriptions and evidence for the actual purchase.
For a current transaction, the grade reconciliation is not provided; obtain current verified information. Record each ordered and accepted delivered line, outstanding difference and authorised disposition.
Preserve the requirement rather than only its total
A multi-grade purchase exists because the responsible team has defined distinct product needs. The procurement record should carry those needs separately even if finance also displays an overall purchase quantity.
Do not allow a supplier's consolidated confirmation to erase the individual lines. If the supplier changes the allocation, identify that change before accepting the proposition as a match to the enquiry.
Likewise, a delivery record should remain connected to the relevant product. Matching only the vessel and order number can conceal that an attachment supports a different grade from the one being reconciled.
Separate recorded quantity from acceptance of the change
The desk may receive evidence that different quantities were supplied from those originally ordered. First establish the supported facts, then identify whether the difference was authorised, remains disputed or requires another action.
A recorded excess in one product does not automatically settle a shortfall in another. The responsible technical team must assess the actual requirement, while the commercial team addresses the applicable agreement.
Do not label the change as equivalent supply merely because the weights add to the same total. That would introduce a technical and contractual conclusion the arithmetic cannot establish.
Illustrative matching total with a different grade mix
ILLUSTRATIVE — fictional order and recorded quantities, not an authorised fuel-substitution instruction or actual Panama purchase.
The order contains 500 tonnes of a main grade at $600 per tonne and 100 tonnes of a distillate at $800 per tonne. Total quantity is 600 tonnes, with an ordered fuel amount of $380,000.
The records show 480 tonnes of the main grade and 120 tonnes of the distillate. The aggregate is still 600 tonnes, but the main-grade difference is 20 tonnes below the order and the distillate difference is 20 tonnes above it.
Applying the stated line prices produces 480 × $600 + 120 × $800 = $384,000, or $4,000 more. Whether those quantities and charges are accepted requires the actual agreement and relevant review; the example only exposes the hidden mix change.
An aggregate quantity check would miss both the grade-specific difference and its price effect. A correct commercial review needs the individual lines as well as the total.
A grade-by-grade reconciliation table
| Review field | What to compare | What the total cannot resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Product description | Order against actual delivery evidence | Whether the required grade was supplied |
| Quantity by grade | Accepted requirement against recorded supply | A shortfall offset by another product's excess |
| Authorised change | Relevant instruction and acknowledgment | Whether a changed allocation was agreed |
| Technical assessment | Responsible team's scoped conclusion | Whether the revised supply meets the vessel's need |
| Unit price | Applicable price for each accepted line | Cost effects hidden by one blended average |
| Remaining balance | Grade-specific completion or amendment | Whether the order is commercially closed |
| Invoice | Supported quantity and price per line | Entitlement to charge for an unaccepted difference |
Fictional case: the aggregate dashboard marks the order complete
A fictional buyer arranges a multi-grade Panama purchase. Its dashboard compares the supplier's combined delivered tonnes with the combined order quantity and marks the purchase complete.
The receiving review identifies a different mix across the grades. The vessel's actual requirement has not been shown to be satisfied, and the invoice uses different line prices from the buyer's aggregate estimate.
The desk restores the product-level reconciliation. The responsible team assesses the remaining need, while procurement establishes the amendment and billing position with the supplier. The matching total remains a fact, but it is no longer used as the sole completion test.
Avoid repairing the mismatch with an average price
A weighted average can summarise an already reconciled purchase for a defined reporting purpose. It should not replace the individual agreed prices during invoice approval.
If the buyer adjusts an average price until the total invoice matches, it can hide an unauthorised quantity shift or a separate billing error. Preserve the underlying product quantities and accepted unit prices first.
Where rights or remedies are disputed, check the current agreement and obtain appropriate review. Do not invent a credit or set-off simply because the aggregate tonnage matches.
Common mistakes
Avoid closing a multi-grade order from total tonnes alone, treating different fuels as interchangeable by weight and hiding a mix change in an average price. Another error is confusing a recorded delivery with acceptance of its departure from the order. Reconcile product, quantity, authority and price separately.
Where Zeaclub fits
Zeaclub supports agentic, AI-assisted operations with a human in control.
Zeaclub provides a multi-party shared workspace for owners, charterers, brokers and port agents.
Explore Zeaclub
Educational information only; not legal, financial or trading advice. Contract wording and applicable rules control. Verify current requirements and obtain qualified advice before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Does matching total tonnage prove the order is complete?
No. Each required product line and any authorised amendment need to be reconciled.
Can excess distillate automatically replace another grade's shortfall?
No. Obtain the responsible technical and commercial assessment.
Is a blended average price suitable for invoice approval?
Reconcile the individual accepted quantities and prices first. A summary average cannot resolve line-level errors.
What belongs in the grade-reconciliation slot?
Record each product's ordered, recorded and accepted quantity, with the status of differences.