AN A310 FLT CREW TOOK OFF WITH FUEL LOAD EXCEEDING THE ALLOWABLE FUEL TANK IMBAL; RPTR IDENTS INOP FUEL GAUGE AND IMPROPER FUELING PROCS AS FACTORS.

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ON TKOF FROM OAK RWY 29; THE PF (FO) NOTICED THAT THE R WING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY 'HEAVIER' THAN THE L WING. THE R INNER FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP AND WAS A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM (DMI) PER THE ACFT MEL. THE TANK WITH THE INOP FUEL GAUGE WAS TO BE FUELED WITH A 'KNOWN' QUANTITY OF FUEL AS SPECIFIED IN THE MEL. ONCE AIRBORNE AND THE IMBAL WAS RECOGNIZED; WE BEGAN BURNING FUEL FROM THE R INNER TANK TO BOTH ENGS TO LESSEN THE IMBAL. OUR FLT MANUAL LIMITATION FOR AN INNER TANK IMBAL IS 2000 LBS. WE ELECTED TO BURN THE MAX OF 2000 LBS FROM THE R INNER TANK AS INDICATED ON OUR FUEL USED INDICATORS. WE THEN RESUMED OUR NORMAL WING TO ENG BURN CONFIGN. AT OUR DEST; WE INSTRUCTED MAINT TO DEFUEL THE R INNER TANK. THEY VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT MUST HAVE BEEN OUT OF BAL BY MORE THAN 5000 LBS FOR OUR DEP OUT OF OAKLAND. WE SUSPECT THAT IT WAS NEARLY 7000 LBS BECAUSE THE 'INOP' GAUGE WAS INDICATING A READING HIGHER THAN NORMAL BY 7000 LBS. I SUSPECT THAT THE TANK WAS NOT PROPERLY DEFUELED AT OUR DEP ARPT BEFORE FUELING BEGAN.