P&I Clubs

The UK P&I Club has issued guidance about a bunker fuel contamination incident which occurred onboard a general cargo ship during loading a bulk cargo. The Club has, provided details of what happened and highlights the important lessons learned.

This vessel was loading a bulk cargo in two of the vessel’s lower holds. During the loading operation, the vessel bunkered 500 MT of HFO into no.’s 2 port and starboard fuel oil side tanks. Shortly after the completion of bunkering operations, the Chief Engineer (C/E) noticed the level of no.2 port fuel oil tank was decreasing from observation of the remote gauging system.

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The West of England P&I Club has highlighted the mandatory notification requirements surrounding the perils of carrying nickel ore cargo from both Indonesia and the Philippines, ensuring that the necessary related safety measures are in place to comply with the IMSBC Code requirements. The Club explains the implications and advises all operators to take the necessary measures to mitigate these risks where possible. The Club says this may necessitate the appointment of a local surveyor to assist the Master.

“In accordance with the Club’s bye-laws, Members are required to notify the Managers before agreeing to carry a nickel ore cargo to ensure that they are fully acquainted with the risks beforehand and so that any concerns regarding the contractual terms of carriage may be addressed. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Managers, Members are also required to appoint a surveyor at the load port to provide assistance to the Master. Failure to fulfil these requirements may prejudice cover.” The Club says in a statement.

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The West P&I Club has recently encountered a cargo liquefaction case involving a cargo of ball clay that was loaded in Lumut, Malaysia for discharge in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A similar case was reported in 2013. Therefore the Club issues this warning and urges operators to pay special attention when loading a clay cargo.

According to the cub, laboratory testing of samples of the cargo drawn from the vessel showed a Flow Moisture Point (FMP) of 29.7% and Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) of 26.7%, when determined on the flow table, and an FMP of 32.1% and TML of 28.9% when determined by the penetration test. The lowest moisture content of the cargo onboard was notably higher than either TML, at 36.4%.

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The North P&I Club has issued a loss prevention briefing bulletin, which details all the important and necessary actions and steps to take into consideration when conducting a proper and professional incident investigation. The Club reviews how to conduct an investigation; how to collect and preserve the evidence; how to examine data and how to look for and find probable causes and finally how to use data to identify trends.

In particular, it is noted that, fundamentally, the investigation should establish:
• who was involved
• what happened
• why did it happen

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Gard P&I Club says that many claims relating to heat damage in soya bean cargoes loaded in South America, particularly Brazil and Uruguay, mostly for discharge in China have been reported this year. Due to the relatively high value of soya beans and the fairly large quantities shipped, the disputes have in some cases involved multi-million dollar claims. In a recently published loss prevention article, Gard P&I Club highlights the importance of inspections as important visible signs that fall under the phrase “apparent condition” can reveal at an early stage the problem and recommends guidelines to assist operations involved in the transportation of soya bean cargoes.

It is important to remember that there is an obligation in law, under the relevant cargo carriage liability regimes, to inspect the cargo’s apparent order and condition at loading, to enable the Master to ensure that the bill of lading is accurate in its description of these items. The same regimes obliges the Master and his crew to properly care for the cargo once loaded.

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