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The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has announced at its first meeting of the new board of directors, that Nigel Draffin of LQM Petroleum Services was elected to the post of Vice Chairman until March 31st 2012, upon which he will succeed Robert Lintott, ISO Bunkers LLC, as Chairman of IBIA.

Commenting on the news, Draffin said: “I am very honoured by the confidence shown in me by the board in my election to Vice Chairman of the Association. I will do everything I can to support Bob Lintott in his year as Chairman and to further the aims of the Association. We have an excellent secretariat, a competent and committed board and a clear strategy for the future. I hope I will be able to live up to the high standards set by my predecessors when I take over as Chairman in April 2012.”

Other appointments included, Simon Neo Tiau Gee of Integra Fuels, who was elected Honorary Treasurer. Jens Maul Jørgenson, Oldendorff Carriers Gmbh & Co KG was re-elected to the Board Development Committee (BDC) and will be joined on the BDC by Mustafa Muhtaroglu of Energy Petrol.

Career summary

Nigel Draffin has been involved in shipping for 44 years and with the commercial bunker market for 23 years.

After joining Shell Tankers in 1966, he progressed through the ranks serving on all classes of vessel, steam and motor, including VLCCs and LNG tankers. He came ashore in 1979 to join the new building department of Shell International Marine and in 1986 he moved to the commercial department as a bunker buyer and economics analyst.

In 1988 he was promoted to the Head of Operational Economics, responsible for all of the fuel purchase for the Shell fleet and the operation of the fuel price risk management policy and the performance of the owned fleet. Part of Draffin's responsibilities in the operations division included the investigation and conduct of bunker claims and the technical resolution of bunker problems.

In March 1996 he joined the staff of E.A.Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd. in the bunker department. He is currently technical manager of LQM Petroleum Services Inc. which took over the bunker broking activities of Gibsons in 2006.

Draffin has participated in IMO sub committees on bunker quality as an observer for OCIMF. He has lectured on operational, commercial and technical aspects of shipping for the last 22 years for his employers, IBIA, the College of Petroleum Studies, Lloyd’s Marine Academy and at many conferences worldwide.

Draffin is a founder member of the International Bunker Industry Association. As a member of the council he held the Safety Working Group portfolio for 3 years and served as co-ordinator of the Education Working Group. He is also a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology, a supporting member of LMAA, a qualified Marine Engineer and a qualified Quality System Auditor.