Oil Tankers

  • New international standards for double hull oil tanker construction were recently adopted at the 32nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 32) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency responsible for maritime affairs. U.S.

    Coast Guard Rear Adm. A.E. (Gene) Henn, Chief of the Office of Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, serving as the head of the U.S. delegation to MEPC 32, stated that the U.S. fully supported the principles embodied in regulations 13F (new tankers) and 13G (existing tankers) because they were the same principles contained in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90).

    However, since there were technical differences between regulations 13F and 13G, and the requirements of OPA 90, the U.S reserved its position on adoption of these amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78).

    Under the provisions of Article 16 of MARPOL 73/78, these amendments will enter into force on July 6, 1993, unless more than one-third of the parties to MARPOL 73/78 object to the amendments by January 6, 1993. The Coast Guard is currently reviewing and evaluating possible courses of action with regard to these amendments.

    Scheduled to be published in late spring, the U.S. double-hull regulations will provide standards consistent with those agreed to at MEPC 32, but will apply them as required by OPA 90. They will appear as an interim final rule (IFR) rather than a final rule to allow for further public comment. The IFR will not foreclose options with respect to final U.S. action on the amendments adopted at IMO. Additionally, it will not contain any provisions for alternatives or equivalents to double hulls, since they are not presently permitted under OPA 90.

    OPA 90 requires a double hull to be fitted on each vessel, including foreign ships, carrying oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue in U.S. waters.

    Any such vessel (with some specific exceptions) that is constructed or that undergoes a major conversion under a contract placed on or after June 30, 1990, must have a double hull fitted at the time of construction or major conversion. Starting in 1995, an existing vessel must be fitted with a double hull in accordance with a timetable in OPA 90.

    MARPOL-OPA 90 Regulational Differences For New Oil Tankers There are major differences between MARPOL regulation 13F for new oil tankers and OPA 90. They are: (A) Regulation 13F applies to oil tankers of 600 dwt and above; OPA 90 applies to any tank vessel regardless of tonnage.

    (B) Regulation 13F applies to oil tankers contracted on or after July 6,1993, or delivered on or after July 6,1996; OPA 90 applies to new tank vessels contracted for on or after June 30, 1990, or delivered on or after January 1, 1994.

    (C) Regulation 13F allows for dispensation from the double-bottom portion of the double hull if the oil tanker is built with a mid-deck in the cargo tanks; OPA 90 provides no dispensation from the double-hull requirement.

    (D) Regulation 13F allows oil tankers less than 5,000 dwt to have a double bottom and small cargo tanks in lieu of a double hull; OPA 90 requires all tank vessels regardless of size to have a double hull.

    MARPOL-OPA 90 Regulational Differences For Existing Tankers In addition, there are major differences between regulation 13G for existing oil tankers and OPA. They are: (A) Regulation 13G applies to crude oil tankers of 20,000 dwt and above, and product carriers of30,000 dwt and above; OPA 90 applies to any tank vessel regardless of tonnage.

    (B) Regulation 13G requires the phasing out of existing single-hull tankers after 30 years' service; OPA requires phasing out based on a detailed schedule which ranges from as late as 45 years' service to as early as 20 years' service. The resulting effect of this difference is that larger, newer tank vessels are required to have a double hull sooner under OPA 90, while smaller, older oil tankers are required to have a double hull sooner under regulation 13G. There are approximately 40 U.S. oil tankers that would be required to have a double hull sooner under regulation 13G than under OPA 90.

    Mid-Deck Studied The mid-deck design included in regulation 13F as an alternative to double hulls is one of the technical differences which has caused the Coast Guard to reserve its position.

    Since MEPC 31 in July 1991, the U.S. has clearly voiced an objection to the mid-deck design, stating that an alternative needs to be proven before it is accepted by the MEPC [there are no mid-deck designed tankers under construction or in operation at present]. As a result, IMO agreed to undertake a study to compare the environmental performance of double hull and mid-deck tankers, and to evaluate guidelines that would be used for approval of other possible alternative designs.

    The Coast Guard was an active participant on the IMO Steering Committee for this study with the main objective of insuring that the study be fair and equitable. In their report, the Steering Committee concluded that when considering total oil outflow, the mid-deck design is equivalent to the double hull.

    The U.S. reserved its position on this conclusion in the Steering Committee and later at MEPC 32.

    OPA requires the Coast Guard to determine whether other structural and operational tank vessel requirements would provide protection to the marine environment, equal to or greater than provided by double hulls. It further requires the Coast Guard to report to Congress its determination and recommendations for legislative action. To fulfill these obligations, the Coast Guard commissioned the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study, Tanker Spills: Prevention by Design, completed this past February, which evaluated 17 different oil tanker design concepts.

    The Coast Guard has also initiated an R&D project that will use probabilistic oil outflow computer modeling to evaluate three designs in addition to the double-hull and mid-deck designs which were considered in the IMO comparative study. These three additional designs are the Coulombi Egg, the POLMIS tanker, and the American Underpressure method [see article on this method below]. Unlike the IMO comparative study, this project will evaluate not only total oil outflow, but also the probability of zero oil outflow.

    The Coast Guard intends to use the NAS study, the IMO Comparative Study on Oil Tanker Design, and the results of their R&D project to assist in determining if there are equivalents to double hulls for the report to Congress which is scheduled for completion this summer.

    Editor's Note: Special thanks to Commander Popko and Mr. Shapiro for providing this up-tothe- minute report. Both work for the Coast Guard's Standards Development Branch (G-MVI-2), Merchant Vessel Inspection & Documentation Division at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., which is in the midst of developing the U.S.

    regulations for double hulls.

  • and came into effect on October 21, 2003. It provides for, among other things, the immediate ban on transport of heavy grades of oil in single-hull oil tankers of 5,000 dwt or above to or from EU ports and the accelerated phase-out of single-hull oil tankers on a schedule tied to the ship's MARPOL category

  • Oil tankers greater than 3,000-gt that are more than 15 years old are targeted in France crackdown The long arm of legislation — international, national and regional — will increasingly dictate the way in which ships are designed, outfitted and operated. This trend will continue, and most assuredly

  • began its shipbuilding operation with the construction of two VLCCs in 1973. Since then the Korean yard has become a leader in the area of crude oil tankers. Its wide experience with this type ship includes delivery of 12 VLCCs, eleven 62,500-dwt crude oil tankers, and four of 80,000 dwt. HHI currently h

  • carriers, especially with narrow tanks with "shadow" creating steel structure such as horizontal corrugations, stringers or longitudinals; and (b) oil tankers, especially in stringer areas of wingtanks or sloptanks. With the new Polar Jet PJ 603 series, one unit can replace up to three deck-mounted

  • version of its PrimeShip-HULL (HCSR) ship design support software that is fully compliant with the new IACS Common Structural Rules (harmonized CSR) for oil tankers and bulk carriers. The new ship design support software is reported to be the first in the world to fully support the new Common Structural Rules

  • April 2001 to expedite the process. For purposes of classification, single hull tankers are separated into three categories: Category 1 Oil Tanker Oil tankers of 20.000-dwt and above carrying crude oil, fuel oil, heavy diesel oil or lubricating oil as cargo, and of 30,000- dwt and above carrying other

  • of Shipping, Dct Norske Veritas, and Lloyds Register, the new rulebook is expected to be published next January, and to be brought to bear on all oil tankers of 150-m length and over ordered from July 1. 2005 onwards. The rationale behind the project for a single set of rules governing tanker scantlings wa

  • will continue to rise this year. The industry's efforts to build higher value-added ships could help improve its financial status this year. While oil tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and other low valueadded ships accounted for over 90 percent of the total orders received by Korean shipbuilders

  • and obsolete vessels are scrapped. The AWES report predicts that 85 percent of overall newbuilding requirements in deadweight tons will be for oil tankers and bulk carriers. An extensive report issued by U.K.-based Ocean Shipping Consultants entitled "World Shipbuilding & Newbuilding Prices to

  • 5.4 million gt (up by 1.3 million gt). Of this, 2.2 million gt (40.2 percent) was ore and bulk carriers and 1.7 million gt (31.6 percent) oil tankers. The tonnage delivered by South Korea fell by 73,000 gt to 3.1 million gt. Of the total, 2.2 million gt (72.4 percent) was oil tankers. Worldwide

  • by an unbroken boom in containerships, which lead the order lists by far with 499 units and 15.7 million CGT (36.8%). They are followed by crude oil tankers (272 ships/7.8 million CGT/18.3%), bulk carriers (377 ships/6.8 million CGT/15.9%) and product/chemicals tankers (353 ships/ 5.0 million CGT/11

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    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 39

    a testing program that will the fact that container ports are close to cities, and [all of the study aspects such as heat-release, ignition, safety, pilot-oil people that will be] working on board the vessel. We need to energy fraction, NOx and N2O emissions.” make sure that everybody's safe,” said Brindley

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    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES STACKING not forget any oil leak, big or small, can be catastrophic to the marine environment and marine life, with some EALs found to THE DECKS be only slightly less damaging than the phased-out traditional WITH BEST-IN-CLASS MARINE oils,” said VP of Business Development

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    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 32

    the incidents analyzed by Gard were attributed to ghost ? shing gear that enter the stern tube seal area causing seawater to contaminate the lubrication oil. A 2022 study by CSIRO scientists estimated that the amount of longline ? shing gear littering the ocean each year can circle the Earth more than

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    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 31

    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES “Our recommendations “A good bearing are simple. Please design is have good control over important.” your oil quality in the primary barrier, the aft – Øystein Åsheim Alnes sealing system,” Head of section for Propulsion and Steering, – Arun Sethumadhavan DNV

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    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 30

    started experiencing bearing damage, with many of them having lubricant contamination problems. The affected vessels were often delivered with mineral oil then converted to EALs and subsequently suffered sealing problems. DNV rules support the use of mineral lubricants, EALs and water lubrication and

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    ? oating energy business that leverages the skills and tion vessels. We are forecasting some potential supply chain lessons learnt from deepwater oil & gas projects into the bottlenecks as a result of the increased activity. emerging ? oating wind segment, with measures including: To show how ?

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    Intelatus Floating Production White Paper. Floating Production – A growing segment in transition © AdobeStock_Dolores Harvey The specialized deepwater oil & gas and ? oating offshore wind segments will share many of the same stakeholders and supply chains, competing for increasingly scarce resources

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    simulation systems to be a much safer and more effective form of training.” Burry said the company’s simulators are deployed glob- ally, from ships and oil rigs offshore to land-based installa- tions in training academies and elsewhere. In addition to building the simulators, Virtual Marine owns and operate

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    rates, and these impacts are felt more strongly in the U.S. than they are in Europe, Møller said. “Now we are paying the premium, because the oil market is high. But going further down, probably oil market is going to take a turn again and our business will become equally cheap, because we

  • MN Feb-24#30  due to a strengthened offshore oil and gas sector. The 
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    vessels (OSV), which have seen their charter rates [they] only need it for two or three. . . The sustainable ves- rise due to a strengthened offshore oil and gas sector. The sel ownership perspective is revenue certainty and knowing cyclic up and down of oil and gas markets directly affects 30 |

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    February 2024 - Marine News page: 14

    Insights to the organization’s team of more than 75 expert instruc- without paying that price in blood and oil.’ They get to do tors. “We bring in the specialists who know the material things they would not normally get to do, and then they can through and through.” re? ne those skills in what we know

  • MN Feb-24#6  role covers training, project 
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    February 2024 - Marine News page: 6

    of port safety at the Hampton Roads Ship- experience in the global energy, maritime and offshore ping Association, where his role covers training, project oil and gas sectors. management and labor relations throughout the port. 6 | MN February 202

  • MT Jan-24#59  to conduct product or 
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    London every two years, will come together across a wide range of sectors, including more than 100 companies are expected to conduct product or offshore oil & gas, renewables, defense, maritime security, service launch activity. Exhibitors introducing new solutions marine science, ports, aquaculture and

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    to ? oating wind, there are many long-estab- tional ? xed-bottom units, and conservative esti- lished technologies and companies in the ? oating offshore oil Tmates call for 300 GW of ? oating offshore wind by and gas industry that will translate to ? oating wind. However, 2050, according to Gazelle CFO

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    Electronic and Photonic Micro- leadership positions in a variety of systems 6. “Improved Ef? ciency & Reliability for Data Center Servers Using Immersion Oil Cool- IEEE and ASTM Committees. ing”; Cheryl Tulkoff, Chris Boyd; Electronic Systems Technologies Conference, May 2021 52 January/February 2024 MTR

  • MT Jan-24#43  ranging from offshore oil and gas to marine research)
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    be instru- T into the abyss to conduct critical tasks in indus- mental in the installation, maintenance, and repair of renew- tries ranging from offshore oil and gas to marine research and able energy infrastructure. underwater construction. Work Class ROVs and other ROVs • Advanced Materials and Durability:

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    TECH FEATURE WAVE POWER “We found an interesting market and application where we’re deploying the MARINE technology: decarbonizing oil and gas. TECHNOLOGY TV I’m talking about powering sub-sea Watch the full interview with Cameron McNatt: equipment in the oil and gas sector.” Cameron McNatt, Mocean

  • MT Jan-24#19  the technology: decarbonizing oil and gas. I’m talk-
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    an interesting market and application where we’re ity. So that’s something that needs special consideration, but deploying the technology: decarbonizing oil and gas. I’m talk- we are generating more and more data around that. ing about powering sub-sea equipment in the oil and gas sec- tor where the traditional

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    fabric of the vessels themselves. In operations alongside the ? nancial costs. It is only with continual autumn 2023 NOC will trial Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) innovation of such tools that we can enable marine research sci- in their vessels. This will play an interim role in reducing CO2 entists to

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    In the Shipyard Latest Deliveries, Contracts and Designs Vard Inks $450M to Build Cable Layers ARD won a $252m contract for the design and con- struction of a third cable laying vessel for Italy’s Prysmian Group: Monna Lisa is still under construc- V tion; Leonardo da Vinci was delivered in 2021. The new

  • MR Jan-24#35  as well as black water and  for oil spills, but for sewage)
    January 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 35

    larger volume of in? uent gaps. Ships in EU seas should face dissuasive ? nes, not only produced by including gray water as well as black water and for oil spills, but for sewage and garbage discharge as well, careful consideration of membrane bioreactor (MBR) design said the Parliament’s Transport and

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    68 Coatings: Jotun Public Decks: 2 Ballast Water Management System: Norwegian Greentech As an example, Wärtsilä piloted a new ultra-low-emis- rine gasoil due to higher LNG costs, and Wasaline was able sions version of its Wärtsilä 31DF engine aboard the ship to to cut total CO2 emissions by 51.8% (calculatio

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    ? cant role, but their mainstream availability will likely be limited for several decades, and they may cost four to six times more than heavy fuel oil does today. The ? nancial factors will certainly slow adoption, but the cost challenges can be mitigated when wind power enters the equation. In

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    insights from the Energy measured against a similar vessel using tween multiple wingsails was a key as- Observer catamaran – an OceanWings heavy fuel oil on the same route. These pect in the development of OceanWings. testbed that has travelled more than savings are available now. This research was