Introduction — Why 95% of DTAs & UDTAs Are Fake in the Petroleum Market

Every day, buyers receive offers with:

• “DTA available”

• “UDTA ready”

• “Tank-injection guaranteed”

• “Seller has tank farm access”

• “TTT/TTV immediate lift”

Yet in real institutional petroleum trade (EN590, Jet A1, D6, Crude Oil), most of these claims are false.

Why?
Because tank access is the ONLY thing fraudsters cannot fake—and buyers don’t know how DTA/UDTA really work.

This guide gives you the full professional analysis:

• What is a real DTA?

• What is a UDTA?

• How tank-access is verified institutionally

• How to detect fake DTA/UDTA instantly

• How NNRV verifies tank-access in Rotterdam, Houston, Fujairah, Jurong, and Antwerp

If you understand this article, you will never be scammed in TTT/TTT or tank-lift transactions again.

SECTION 1 — Understanding the Real Context Behind DTA & UDTA

1.1 Tank access is the most valuable asset in petroleum trading

Tank access is controlled by:

• Terminal operators

• Storage companies (Vopak, Oiltanking, Shell, Vitol, VTTI, etc.)

• Pipeline operators

• Port authorities

• Government regulators

• Major traders (Trafigura, Glencore, Vitol)

No random “seller” on WhatsApp has real tank access.

1.2 DTA & UDTA exist ONLY inside official terminal workflow

A real terminal does not issue DTA/UDTA:

• to brokers

• to intermediaries

• to WhatsApp groups

• without KYC

• without a storage agreement

If a seller provides DTA without:

• TSA (Tank Storage Agreement)

• Injection schedule

• Terminal code

• Tank number

• Allocation volume

→ 100% scam.

1.3 Why fraudsters use fake DTA/UDTA

Because buyers trust:

• “inspection access”

• “SGS allowed”

• “open tank”

• “TTT fast procedure”

Fraudsters exploit this lack of knowledge.
They know: once the buyer believes tank access exists, the buyer relaxes his guard.

SECTION 2 — DTA vs UDTA: Full Technical Explanation

2.1 What is a real DTA (Dip Test Authorization)?

A DTA is a document issued by a terminal operator authorizing:

• SGS / Intertek / Bureau Veritas access

• Dip test / Q&Q

• Sample extraction

• Crude/oil measurement

A real DTA includes:

A DTA must be issued by the terminal, not the seller.

If the seller “issues” the DTA → Fake.

2.2 What is a UDTA (Unconditional Dip Test Authorization)?

A UDTA is a more advanced form of DTA.

It grants:

• unconditional access for buyer’s inspection

• no pre-payment

• no pre-transaction conditions

• immediate Q&Q authorization

UDTA is typically issued when:

• seller has full control of the storage

• product is 100% verified & paid for

• tank is ready for immediate delivery

UDTA is extremely rare.

Only real title holders issue it.

2.3 DTA vs UDTA — Summary Table

If you receive a UDTA before:

• SPA

• MT199

• MT799

• MT760

→ instant red flag.

SECTION 3 — NNRV Expert Analysis: How to Know if Seller Has Real Tank Access

NNRV uses 11 institutional-level verification steps.
If any of these fail, the seller has NO access.

1️⃣ Confirm tank number with the terminal operator

Real tanks have:

• tank ID

• tank location code

• owner registration

• batch movement history

Fraud tanks often use:

• wrong format

• wrong prefixes

• tanks that don’t exist

2️⃣ Verify TSA (Tank Storage Agreement)

Real TSA includes:

• contract number

• lessee (seller) name

• tank volume

• rental dates

• authorization for third-party inspection

Fake TSA = poorly formatted PDF.

3️⃣ Check if the seller’s company is registered with the terminal

Terminal must confirm:

• storage client

• authorized personnel

• account code

If not → no access.

4️⃣ Validate pipeline injection receipt

If the product came via pipeline, the injection receipt must show:

• pipeline origin

• injection timestamp

• volume transferred

• batch number

Fake sellers cannot produce this.

5️⃣ Verify product movement logs

Terminal logs show:

• loading

• unloading

• injection

• transfers

• ullage levels

Fake sellers cannot provide consistent data.

6️⃣ Confirm SGS/Intertek authorization

SGS will NOT:

• inspect unknown tanks

• inspect tanks with NO TSA

• inspect tanks with NO batch

• inspect tanks with wrong identity

If seller claims SGS is “already arranged” = fake.

7️⃣ Vessel nomination check (for TTT/TTV)

Real tank-to-vessel (TTV) operations require:

• Q88

• NOR (Notice of Readiness)

• vessel name

• IMO number

• loading schedule

No vessel = no real TTT.

SECTION 4 — Step-by-Step Verification Process (Institutional Workflow)

Here is the exact sequence REAL tank-access deals follow:

STEP 1 — Seller submits TSA + Tank Details

Buyer verifies identity.

STEP 2 — Buyer issues ICPO + KYC

Terminal screens buyer.

STEP 3 — Terminal sends DTA (or UDTA if very strong seller)

Only terminal can issue it.

STEP 4 — Buyer appoints SGS/Intertek

Independent inspectors only.

STEP 5 — Terminal grants access to SGS inspector

Authorized through terminal security.

STEP 6 — DIP Test occurs

Q&Q performed inside tank.

STEP 7 — SGS submits official report

Buyer receives real Q&Q.

STEP 8 — Payment (MT103/TT) or lifting (TTT/TTV)

After confirmation.

If your seller skips ANY of these steps → not real.

SECTION 5 — Buyer & Seller Questions (20 Strong Answers)

10 Buyer Questions

1. Can seller issue DTA? → No, only terminal.

2. Is UDTA common? → Very rare.

3. Can DTA appear before TSA? → Impossible.

4. Do terminals verify buyers? → Yes.

5. Can SGS inspect without DTA? → No.

6. Is tank location mandatory? → Yes.

7. Are Vopak TSAs verifiable? → 100%.

8. Is Rotterdam the safest? → Globally, yes.

9. Can a tank be “shared”? → Only in specific conditions.

10. Should buyer pay before DTA? → Never.

10 Seller Questions

1. Must seller show TSA? → Yes (redacted allowed).

2. When to release DTA? → After ICPO/KYC.

3. Who books SGS? → Buyer.

4. Is old DTA valid? → No.

5. Can buyer enter terminal? → Only inspector can.

6. Does UDTA expose seller? → Yes, high liability.

7. Can TSA be faked? → Yes; NNRV verifies it.

8. Does terminal require compliance? → Always.

9. Can DIP happen same day? → Rare.

10. Must tank be full? → Sufficient product required.

SECTION 6 — Why These Rules Exist (Industry Governance & Compliance)

These controls come from:

• ISPS Port Security Code

• EU Customs + Port Authority rules

• API MPMS standards

• ISO petroleum storage standards

• SGS/Intertek inspection protocols

• Tank farm insurance requirements

• Vessel loading regulations (SOLAS, MARPOL)

This is why fake sellers cannot replicate real tank access.

SECTION 7 — Professional CTA

📌 Need to verify a seller’s DTA, UDTA, TSA, or tank/terminal access?

NNRV Trade Partners offers:

• Tank access verification

• TSA & pipeline validation

• Terminal identity authentication

• SGS authorization verification

• Full TTT/TTV due diligence

• Compliance supervision for Rotterdam, Houston, Fujairah, Jurong, Antwerp

📩 info@nnrvtradepartners.com
🌐 www.nnrvtradepartners.com

Stop trusting PDFs.
Trust institutional verification.

Mini FAQ (5 Quick Answers)

1. Can a real DTA be shared before compliance?
   No—violates terminal protocol.

2. Can UDTAs be issued instantly?
   Only by top-tier title holders.

3. Do fake sellers use random tank numbers?
   Yes—NNRV can detect within minutes.

4. Can SGS confirm tank access directly?
   Yes—through inspector scheduling.

5. How fast can NNRV verify tank access?
   24–72 hours.