Meet The Team: Harith Altuma

Brookes Bell’s forensic scientists are renowned for their inquisitive and detailed-oriented nature. For Harith Altuma, Brookes Bell’s newest Fuel Chemists based in Houston, Texas, his passion for solving complex problems in energy and chemistry has led to him becoming one of the industry’s leading authorities in marine fuel analysis and the latest expert in Brookes Bell’s growing team of fuel chemists.

“I’ve always believed in paying attention to the little details. If you miss something in the small details then that can lead to a much bigger problem. It doesn’t matter if you are testing an engine, heavy fuel oil or a new type of alternative fuel, details truly matter in scientific investigations,” said Harith who joined Brookes Bell in 2025.

Qualifying with a degree in chemistry from the University of Basrah’s College of Science in Iraq in 1995, Harith worked for nearly a decade at Iraq’s Ministry of Industry, honing his skills in the forensic inspection of chemicals, fuels, water and air pollution. His time in Basrah led to him becoming proficient in data analysis, laboratory investigation and on-site operational expertise.

In 2012, Harith moved to the United States to take up a leading lab-based role at POLARIS Laboratories. In the following 13 years, he became one of the leading technical and analytical experts in petroleum, gasoline, jet fuels, methanol and a whole host of other fuel-based products after spending time at some of the leading Houston-based laboratories. In his last role, Harith was the leading lab coordinator for AmSpec Group in Texas, leading a full team of fuel chemists to ensure quality assurance on gasoline, bio-diesels and other regional products.

In 2025, Harith joined Brookes Bell as its very first Fuel Scientist based in Houston. According to Harith, his experience in testing, handling and inspecting fuels for more than three decades means he is ideally positioned to support Brookes Bell’s maritime and energy clients.

“Shipping companies face a huge amount of challenges when it comes to bunker fuel choice and quality. This is made even more complex when you consider alternative fuel development for commercial vessels. Owners, operators and insurers need to understand the technical causes of fuel-related operational problems in order to avoid sometimes painful and costly periods of downtime. My work, and that of the wider Brookes Bell team, is helping to identify inconsistencies, trends and technical indicators that could impact fuel quality and performance risks,” he noted.

Brookes Bell’s fuel cargo quantity and quality dispute services have become more common in recent years as owners look to tackle the need to decarbonise their vessels alongside the need to ensure they remain commercially viable. According to Harith, this leads to one of the more frustrating reasons why fuel disputes are so commonplace: players across the fuel supply chain looking to cut corners to remain competitive.

“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve always given my teams over the years is to not cut corners. If you do things in a proper way, then you don’t have any problems. Many of the cases we handle have issues where things have not been done properly and that leads to unintended consequences. It doesn’t matter if it’s a owner and operator or a lab-based team, cutting corners always leads to risk so do things properly.

“I’ve always prided myself on doing things the right way. That is why my work and my ethos to forensic investigation aligns so closely to that of Brookes Bell. In today’s landscape, shipping players need to rely on specialists doing the correct way with the right attitude and know they are not cutting corners. That is why I am so proud to be a part of what Brookes Bell is doing and making a difference to today’s fuel landscape,” he added.