Knowledge
Knowledge Hub · StartLiving Group
Specifications, banking procedures, fraud prevention and engineering — written for buyers, sellers, mandates and brokers.
Jet A-1 specification explained: ASTM D1655 and DEF STAN 91-091 limits
What a Jet A-1 specification actually requires: the ASTM D1655 and DEF STAN 91-091 limits for density, flash point, freezing point, sulphur, thermal stability and conductivity, where the two standards differ, and which certificate a buyer should ask for.
Fake Tank Storage Receipts and DTA Documents: How to Verify a Rotterdam or Houston Tank Farm
Tank storage receipts, DTAs and injection reports are the most forged documents in fuel trading. This guide explains what a genuine terminal document looks like, how Rotterdam and Houston tank farms actually work and how to verify a tank farm before any payment.
Road Construction Materials: Base Course Aggregates, Bitumen 60/70 and PMB — Quantities per km
A worked estimate of road construction materials per kilometre: unbound base course aggregates, asphalt layers, bitumen 60/70 or polymer-modified binder, with the assumptions stated so you can rescale them.
SBLC MT760 "Monetisation" Myths: What a Standby Letter of Credit Can and Cannot Do
A standby letter of credit sent by MT760 is a bank undertaking to pay on default, not an asset to be "monetised", leased or traded. What ISP98 and UCP 600 actually allow, and how SBLC offers are used in diesel deals.
DLC MT700 vs SBLC MT760 in Physical Commodity Deals
A documentary credit pays against documents; a standby pays against default. Why the choice of MT700 or MT760 changes the whole procedure, what UCP 600, ISP98 and ISBP 821 govern, and where MT799 and MT103 fit in.
Cement CEM I 42.5 vs 52.5 and Clinker: Choosing Binders for Bridges, High-Rise and Precast
How CEM I 42.5 and 52.5 differ under EN 197-1, what the N and R suffixes mean, when clinker is bought instead of cement, and which binder suits bridges, high-rise cores and precast plants.
MT103 Against Bill of Lading: How Payment on Delivery Really Works in Bulk Commodity Trades
What "MT103 against bill of lading" means in a physical diesel or sugar contract, why a bank wire is not a payment guarantee, and how documentary collection and letters of credit replace it in institutional trades.
ICUMSA 45 vs ICUMSA 150: What the Number Really Means
The ICUMSA number is a colour reading, not a grade name. What 45 and 150 IU mean, which other parameters define refined and crystal sugar, and why polarisation, ash and moisture decide whether a cargo is fit for purpose.
EPC Turnkey Contracts Explained: FIDIC Silver vs Yellow Book for Roads, Bridges and Industrial Plants
What an EPC turnkey contract is, how the FIDIC Silver Book differs from the Yellow Book in risk, price and contract administration, and which form suits a road, a bridge or an industrial plant.
How to Read an EN 590 10 ppm Specification Sheet
A line-by-line guide to the EN 590 diesel specification: sulphur, cetane, density, distillation, CFPP, lubricity and FAME, and how to tell a guaranteed refinery spec from a marketing sheet.