How to verify a petroleum terminal contact

Establish an independent route

Use an independently established operator contact rather than relying only on the phone number or link in the offer under review. Compare company identity, domain and role.

Confirm authority for the specific offer

Ask whether the person is authorised to discuss the proposed service and whether the relevant offer or document was issued by the organisation. A genuine employee identity does not validate every claim forwarded in their name.

Keep the limits visible

Record the route, date and response. An unanswered request remains unconfirmed. If a claim conflicts with independently obtained information, document the inconsistency and ask for resolution.

Establish the communication channel independently

Begin with contact information obtained independently of the offer you are checking. Compare the company identity, website domain and named contact with the proposed transaction details. If a message introduces a new account, changed instructions or an unfamiliar representative, verify that change through an already established channel. A professional-looking signature or copied logo is not evidence of authority.

• Do not rely solely on contact details inside the disputed document.
• Check whether the person is authorised for this transaction.
• Record the date and method of confirmation.

Check the claim, not just the existence of the company

A real terminal can be impersonated. Confirm the specific proposition: whether the contact, capacity claim, document or instruction is recognised by the relevant organisation. Keep terminal identity separate from supplier title, cargo ownership and payment entitlement. Verifying one element does not resolve the rest of a petroleum transaction.

• Describe exactly what needs confirmation.
• Separate public facts from transaction-specific evidence.
• Escalate inconsistent or unverifiable claims.

Keep a review record with clear limits

Create an evidence log showing the claim, source, response and unresolved questions. If a check cannot be completed, mark it unresolved rather than assuming a positive result. Due diligence is scoped work, not an assurance that a transaction will perform. If payment or legal obligations are involved, obtain the appropriate professional review before relying on an informal exchange.

• Use the terminal verification checklist.
• Avoid circulating sensitive documents beyond the agreed review.
• Request a scoped review if the evidence is inconsistent.