Joint circular 03/2001/TTLT/BTM-BKHCNMT

JOINT-CIRCULAR No. 03/2001/TTLT-BTM-BKHCNMT OF FEBRUARY 6, 2001 GUIDING THE USE OF PETROL METERS IN THE DELIVERY AND RECEIPT, SALE AND PURCHASE OF FUEL FOR WATERWAY TRANSPORT MEANS

Pursuant to Measurement Ordinance No. 16/1999/PL-UBTVQH10 of October 16, 1999;

Pursuant to Decision No. 2537/1998/QD-BKHCNMT of December 31, 1998 of the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment issuing the List of measuring devices subject to State expertise;

Considering the actual status of petrol-meters used by petrol business enterprises;

The Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment hereby guide the uniform use of petrol-meters in delivery and receipt, sale and purchase of fuel for waterway transport means, as follows:

I. General provisions

1.1. Petrol-meters (hereunder called meters for short) shall be used uniformly in the delivery and receipt, sale and purchase of fuel for waterway transport means.

Fuel mentioned in this Circular include: cars’ petrol of various types, civil-use kerosene (KO), diesel oil (DO), jet petrol (JET-A1, TC1), furnace oil (FO).

1.2. During the course of delivery and receipt, sale and purchase of fuel for waterway transport means, meters shall be uniformly used as measuring devices for sale. The value measured by meters shall be used for making final settlement upon delivery, sale and purchase.

1.3. Goods purchasers and transport means owners may use the capacity tables of the transport means for comparison, if there is great disparity between the meter’s index and the capacity tables which cannot be negotiated by concerned parties, such disputes shall be settled according to the provisions of law.

1.4. The meter-using technological system (hereunder called technological system for short) used for the delivery and receipt, sale and purchase of fuel must ensure technical and measurement requirements stated in Section 2 of this Circular.

1.5. The General Department for Standardization, Measurement and Quality shall have to organize the expertise of meters, certify technological systems which are compatible with the expertised meters, thus ensuring the accuracy of the measurement of fuel delivery, receipt, sale and purchase stations for waterway transport means.

2. Technical and measurement requirements for technological systems

The meter-using technological systems used in the delivery and receipt, sale and purchase of fuel consist of main parts being: meters, commanding structure, pumping machines, tanks and the pipe network. These equipment must ensure the following requirements:

a) The meter must ensure the degree of accuracy £ 0.5% and be suitable to each type of petrol, and secure against fire and explosion.

b) The commanding structure must operate in a reliable manner and be arranged in a place convenient for the supervision and inspection of measurement results.

c) The pumping machines must have their capacity and flow compatible with the meter’s flow.

d) In the technological pipe network, 1 or several gas-separating sets must be located. These gas-separating sets must ensure that gas shall be completely separated and their structure must be compatible with the technological systems.

3. Requirements on the operation and inspection of technological systems

3.1. Enterprises which deliver, receive, buy or sell fuel by meters must work out procedures on the operation and inspection of technological systems. The procedures must be publicly posted for supervision and inspection.

3.2. Procedures on the operation and inspection of technological systems set by enterprises must express the following contents:

a) Clearly stipulating the order and contents of operation steps, determining technological parameters in conformity with technical requirements of the technological systems;

b) Stipulating the minimum height of fuel level in the source tanks, thus ensuring that gas shall not penetrate during the course of fuel pumping;

c) Stipulating the regime on periodical inspection of the whole system and the accuracy of meter’s display.

d) Stipulating the regular inspection regime during the course of fuel delivery and receipt, sale and purchase.

3.3. Workers operating the technological system must go through refresher courses, firmly grasp the procedures, and thoroughly understand their functions and tasks.

3.4. The regular operation of the technological system must be maintained, damages and errors must be detected, fixed or adjusted in time. In case of necessity, the meters must be re-expertised before the schedule.

4. Implementation provisions

4.1. This Circular takes effect as from July 1, 2001. Enterprises fully meeting the requirements prescribed in this Circular are encouraged to organize the implementation of this Circular right after its signing.

4.2. In the course of implementation, if any difficulties and problems arise, they must be reported to the Ministry Trade and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for direction and settlement.

For the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment
Vice Minister
BUI MANH HAI

For the Minister of Trade
Vice Minister
HO HUAN NGHIEM