West P&I Club has issued an alert following a pollution incident regarding the issue of structural failure of drain lines passing through fuel oil tanks. The incident occurred during bunkering operations which resulted in a significant oil spill.
While receiving bunkers, fuel oil escaped through an undetected crack in a deck scupper drain lines causing a failure that penetrated through a fuel oil tank. The structural failure was only discovered after oil began leaking from the vessel’s side when the fuel level reached the height of the defect. Although not a common design feature, the arrangement of drain lines/scupper pipes passing through fuel oil tanks still exists. Pipes in such arrangements face accelerated corrosion due to repeated heating and the presence of sea water.
Stress concentration due to vessel motion and vibration contributes to premature piping failure. Additionally, challenging access for thorough inspection makes timely identification of affected areas particularly difficult.
The Club strongly urges those involved to undertake immediate and thorough reviews of their vessels’ piping arrangements, with particular emphasis on implementing prudent risk mitigation measures. The timely identification of structural defects remains paramount in safeguarding against environmental incidents and preserving vessel integrity.
In addition, should any cracks, deterioration, or other structural anomalies be detected during inspection, members are strongly advised to immediately engage with their Classification Society to determine and implement appropriate corrective actions. Such proactive collaboration with Class is essential to ensure that any remedial measures meet the required standards and provide adequate protection against similar incidents.