Our East Kalimantan desk covers Balikpapan, Samarinda, the Mahakam, and the coal anchorages at Muara Berau, Muara Pantai, Taboneo and Kotabaru. The work is coal draft survey, bunker survey, tug and barge condition and towage approval, and offshore support vessel inspection — most of it at anchorage, by boat transfer.
This is the highest-value commercial survey lane in Indonesia. Kalimantan exports coal in enormous volume through anchorage loading, from barges into geared bulk carriers, over loading windows that run for days. Every parcel is settled on a draft survey, and every draft survey is an opportunity for a six-figure error if the ballast record is sloppy.
Coal draft survey at anchorage
The Kalimantan pattern is specific and it changes how the survey has to be run:
Kalimantan coal draft survey practice
- Loading runs for two to five days from barges, so the initial and final surveys are separated by a long window during which the vessel ballasts and de-ballasts continuously. Our ballast record is continuous and taken by us, not summarised by the vessel.
- Monsoon rain accumulates in holds, on hatch covers and on deck. It is weight, it is recorded, and it is deducted.
- Draught marks are read from a launch, both sides, in a swell — which is why two readers and repeated readings are standard rather than optional.
- Barge-by-barge tally and moisture sampling run alongside the draft survey. The seller’s barge figures and the vessel’s draft figure will differ, and the report explains why rather than smoothing it over.
- The constant is derived at the initial survey and carried consistently. A constant taken from the vessel’s paperwork rather than derived is the most common systematic error we correct.
Full method, including trim and density corrections and the wedge calculation for bunkers, is set out on the draft, bunker and cargo survey page.
Tug and barge: condition, suitability and towage approval
| Engagement | When it is instructed | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Barge condition survey | Purchase, charter entry, insurance renewal | Deck plating and stiffening condition, void space soundings, manhole and hatch integrity, securing point condition, graded defect list |
| Barge suitability survey | Before a specific loaded voyage | Deck strength in way of the load, stability with cargo, freeboard, watertight integrity — approval or conditional approval |
| Tug condition survey | Purchase, charter, insurance | Main engine and gearbox condition, towing winch and gear, hull at fendering and pushing areas, bollard pull evidence |
| Towage approval survey | Before a loaded tow sails, usually at underwriter’s requirement | Tug and barge together with the cargo securing, voyage plan and weather criteria |
| On/off-hire survey | Charter delivery and redelivery | Condition record and bunker quantity at both ends, so change during the charter is attributable |
Offshore support vessels
Balikpapan is the support base for offshore operations across the Makassar Strait. OSV, AHTS and crew boat inspection here is normally driven by charterer vetting rather than by class: deck arrangement and load documentation, towing and anchor-handling gear condition and certification, cargo tank and pipework systems, accommodation standard, and the maintenance and drill records behind the paperwork. Where a client specifies a common marine inspection format we report to that structure and state plainly what accreditation the inspector holds.
Eastern routing
From Balikpapan we mobilise east to Bitung, Ambon and Sorong. For vessels already in Papuan waters, yard-based work is usually better routed locally — boat survey and repair in Sorong and Raja Ampat — while we retain the cargo, draft and towage work from this desk.
Frequently asked questions
Do you attend coal draft surveys at Muara Berau and Taboneo?
Yes. Anchorage attendance with boat transfer, including overnight attendance aboard where the loading window requires it, is routine work for this desk.
How accurate is a draft survey in monsoon conditions?
Less accurate than in calm water, and the report says so. We read from a launch on both sides, repeat readings, and state the sea state and the resulting uncertainty rather than presenting a false precision.
Can you do barge suitability and towage approval for a project tow?
Yes — barge structure and stability with the cargo, sea-fastening inspection, tug bollard pull against the calculated requirement, voyage plan and weather criteria, issued as an approval or conditional approval.
Do you carry out OSV condition inspections in Balikpapan?
Yes, including pre-vetting inspection against a charterer’s specified format.
Do you cover Samarinda and the Mahakam river terminals?
Yes, with the usual river-draught and tidal-window planning. Give us the terminal and the loading window as early as possible.
Can you attend on short notice for a casualty?
Balikpapan and Samarinda attendance is normally same day or next day. Remote anchorages depend on boat availability and weather, and we will give a realistic ETA rather than an optimistic one.
Instruct the East Kalimantan desk
Tell us the vessel, port, cargo and date window. Our commercial and cargo desk confirms surveyor availability and a written scope before attendance.
WhatsApp +6281139414563 bd@juaraholding.com
Commercial & cargo desk · fees quoted in USD · report issued in English