Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1992)

Bulker Life Extension

To Be Performed

By Hyundai Mipo

South Korean bulk transport com- pany Pan Ocean Shipping Co. Ltd. has begun a life extension program of its Cape-size bulk carrier and

OBO fleet in response to a growing concern over the number of losses of this type vessel in recent years.

One of the company's vessels, the 123,745-dwt, 1970-built Daeyang

Honey, recently entered the Ulsan,

South Korea, shipyard of Hyundai

Mipo Dockyard (HMD) for exten- sive steel renewal work on her hull and holds.

A spokesman for Pan Ocean said that at least two other bulk vessels will undergo similar work later this year.

Pan Ocean operates 10 vessels ranging in size from 100,000 to 245,000 deadweight tons, all of which were built between 1968 and 1988. The fleet is operated in the expanding iron ore and coal trades between Australia and South Ko- rea. "It is because of our heavy in- volvement in this trade that we are taking the life extension decision," said a company spokesman.

Pan Ocean, unlike other opera- tors in the market with comparably aged fleets, has been reluctant to order new Cape-size tonnage.

Last year, the company posted a profit between $5 million and $6 million, similar to 1990 levels but substantially lower than 1989's level of $18 million.

IMO Expected

To Finalize

Double Hull Rules

The international requirements for double hulls on new and existing tankers were expected to be final- ized by the International Maritime

Organization at its spring meeting of the Marine Environment Protec- tion Committee (MEPC) 32, held earlier this month in London.

Furthermore, IMO double hull and mid-deck proposals are being studied by member governments for any amendments.

One date to keep in mind is July 6,1993, which was recommended by the IMO Working Party as the effec- tive date for which contracts for new tankers must be double hull, mid- deck or the environmental equiva- lent. A keel-laying date of 6 months later and delivery date of 3 years later will be recommended to MEPC.

The working party was unable to agree, however, on the lower effec- tive limit, either 600 or 3,000 dead- weight tons.

As for existing tankers, three pro- posals received support—(1) upgrad- ing and phasing out tankers based on age and calendar dates; (2) ap- plying measures for upgrading ex- isting tankers based on an acciden- tal oil spill number concept; and (3) strengthening requirements for sur- vey and inspections in lieu of the phaseout and upgrading plan.

Oyster Contamination

Prompts Publication

Of Discharge Rules

The U.S. Coast Guard has been prompted by the contamination of oysters in Mobile Bay, Ala., with vibrio cholera to publish IMO's "In- ternational Guidelines for Prevent- ing the Introduction of Unwanted

Pathogens from Ships' Ballast Wa- ter and Sediment Discharges."

Adopted last July by the Marine

Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the guidelines recognize a number of alternatives, including retention of ballast water, exchange of ballast water at sea, control of sediment uptake, and discharge of ballast water to reception facilities ashore. The Coast Guard is urging ship operators to adopt these guide- lines in order to decrease the further introduction of cholera and patho- gens in U.S. waters.

Ship operators should obtain a "Request for Compliance with IMO

Voluntary Ballast Water Guide- lines" and implement the IMO stan- dards. Operators can report their ballast water treatments by using the form in the guidelines and send- ingit to the nearest U.S. Coast Guard

Captain of Port.

For further information, contact:

Lt. Jonathan C. Burton, MEPC

Division (G-MEP) at (202) 267-0426.

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Circle 274 on Reader Service Card 86

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News