Planning of Bunkering Processes - Case Study Example

Cover Page Table of Contents Cover Page 1 Table of Contents 2 List of all tables 3 List of all figures 4 Figure 1: A map of Asia showing some countries that are registered members to the bunkers convention …………………………………………………………………………………24 4 List of all glossary of technical terms 5 Acknowledgment 7 Abstract 8 1. Introduction 9 1.1 Bunker fuel 9 1.2 Quality of fuel 9 2. Bunkering procedures 10 2.1 Procurement of bunker 10 2.2 Major considerations for procedures 10 2.3 The bunkering checklist for safety 11 2.3.1 Pre - bunkering checklist 11 2.3.2 During bunkering procedures – checklist 12 During the operation, the below checklist was filled and keen attention maintained until the process was completed. These include; 12 I.Taking witness and sealing representative of two product samples. 12 II.Constant monitoring of connections for of control tank, and flows of leaks fuel 12 III.Tanks changeover whenever there was need. 12 IV.Close monitoring of rates at which bunkers were received. 12 V.Checking conditions of mooring ropes 12 VI.Checking list of ship and bunker barge 12 VII.Constant monitoring of the vessels position 12 2.3.3 Pro - bunkering procedures 12 3. Results / Findings 14 3.1 Fuel oil sampling method 14 3.2 Temperature density correction 15 4. Discussions 16 5. Conclusion 18 6. Recommendations 18 7. References 19 8. Appendices 20 8.1 Bunker’s notification form 20 8.2 Port contacts 21 8.3 Certificate of insurance 22 8.4 Members to the bunkers convention in Asia 24 Figure 1: A map of Asia showing some countries that are registered members to the bunkers convention. 24 List of all tables Table 1: A table showing a sample of bunkering safety checklist …………………………14 Table 2: Variation of volume and temperature of oil with density…………………………16 Table 3: General responsibilities of the crew………………………………………………18 List of all figures Figure 1: A map of Asia showing some countries that are registered members to the bunkers convention …………………………………………………………………………………24 List of all glossary of technical terms SOPEP - Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan MARPOL – Marine Pollution (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978) MSO - Marine Safety Office (for Port Authority) IMO – International Maritime Organization IATA – International Air Transport Association Berth – a place in the port concession area considered safe for a ship IMDG - International Maritime Dangerous Goods code Bunker transfer - the transfer of combustible liquid, bunker oil, or any other liquid meant for ships engine lubrication. Acknowledgment My sincere gratitude goes to the Master, Seabridge Bunkering Co. Ltd; Mr. Michael H., for granting me permission to undertake an internship (on the job training) in the company. Special thanks also go to the Chief Engineer, Dr. Hussein K. and all the Staff of Seabridge Bunkering Co. Ltd especially to the Chief Officer, Mr. John M. who was my immediate guide in day to day work and learning experience. Again, I appreciate the effort done by the international convention on civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage, 2001 for their contributions in setting the regulations to be followed during bunkering operations. I wish to express my heartfelt gratefulness to the University, School of Engineering and Technology, Department of Industrial Engineering; and the staff who facilitated my training. Finally I say “thank you” to family, friends and everybody else who contributed to the success of my training. Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide proper guidance on execution and planning of bunkering processes including safety procedures. Bunkering operations are normally characterized by leakages and spillages of oils from ship that is a major source of pollution. It has been noted with concern that most of the spillages and overflows that do arise are as a result of errors by human beings. Such operations should be executed as per the set laws and regulations because the damages caused when the oil spills is not easy to clear up and has serious damaging effects. This paper also provides the personnel with plans on dealing with spillages of oil. It gives the necessary actions to stop oil discharge and mitigations of the effects. Proper planning of procedures ensures that the recommended actions are logically performed at the right time. A plan as per regulations 37 of Annex I to MARPOL 73/78 gives practical guide on how to prevent the spillages and the due procedures when danger occurs. The process of bunkering has led to several accidents via cargo, diesel oil, fuel oil, sludge, etc. Therefore, there is need for utmost care during the bunkering process to minimize cases of accidents, ship down time, engine damage, etc. There is also a focus on steps that can be undertaken to diminish chances of quantity claims on bunker and review of legal principles necessary during bunkering. 1. Introduction 1.1 Bunker fuel It refers to a waste product left after processing of fuel oil that cannot be burned easily by the small ship and vehicles. It is a cheap source of fuel for power plants and large ships because of its high content of sulfur and lack of advance technology for its use. It is a very thick fuel and degrades slowly in the environment compared to other fuels. When it is burnt, it results in to CO2, SO2, etc in addition to other pollutants that are a major source of acid rain and other deadly diseases. Despite all these environmental challenges, bunker fuel has continued to remain in the industry due to lack of proper international regulations. During topping off process, the personnel responsible should remain committed and stay at their stations of work more so when the loading of cargo and bunkers is on concurrently. This will greatly reduce conflict of interests by the staff since more spillages are likely when attention of the personnel is diverted to other activities. 1.2 Quality of fuel The charterers and ship owners are concerned about the decline in quality of bunker fuel since refining techniques and components for blending is enhanced. In attempt to reduce the quantity of sulphur, addition of other blend components and heavy blending has been done. Waste chemicals and other organic wastes have also been dumped on marine fuels leading to more operating threats. There have been many cases of engine damage and lost time due to poor quality fuels. Although the claims appear genuine, no proper evidence and documentation has been reported. Occasionally, the quality of fuel seems to meet fuel specification but when further tests are carried out the presence of some contaminants is revealed. It has been difficult to link these to engine damages leading to further examination of damaged components to establish the causal factors. 2. Bunkering procedures It is a requirement that all bunkering operations by the companies is done and controlled according to procedures incorporated in the safety management system of ships. These procedures ensure that risk assessments of all the operations associated by the bunkering process are done and mitigation factors are put in place. Control measures should also be put in place to take care of emergency in case of oil spillages. 2.1 Procurement of bunker The performance of ships was monitored by the ship Superintendents who kept a check on quantity of fuel consumed. They determined rate of fuel consumption and did comparison with the bunker capacity of the tank. Through the Chief Engineer and Master of the vessel the requisition was done to the Managers. Processing and evaluation of requisition was done for the quantity and quality of fuel for a specific ship. Delivery of bunker followed after planning and this happened at a port where oil was present at a relatively lower cost. After all the considerations, the bunker oil was delivered to the vessel by Managers. Upon delivery of the banker, we took a sample collected during process of bunkering of the oil to the laboratory for analysis to ensure that the oil met set regulations for safe operation of engines. 2.2 Major considerations for procedures Before the company produced procedures for bunkering process, the following items were taken in to consideration. a) There was enough space for loading the volume of bunkers. b) All tanks had maximum loading volume. c) There was control on system valves for the bunker. d) Loading rates were determined for topping off, start and bulk loading. e) There were special precautions taken while loading the double bottom tanks. f) There was enough ventilation for bunker tanks. g) Arrangements of internal tank overflow. h) Accurate verification of gauging system operation. i) Alarm settings and communication procedures. j) Management of bunkers that had other components. k) Testing procedures to determine other impurities. l) Requirements for manning the operation. m) Checking that the bunkering operation conforms to the set procedure. Before commencement of bunkering operation, all checks were done and systems of communication confirmed to work properly. 2.3 The bunkering checklist for safety The bunkering safety checklist is based on shore safety checklist contained in the IMO publication. It is structured for bunkers loading from the barge. The checklist contains information such as banker tanks to be loaded, checks before berthing, checks before transfer, bankers to be transferred, etc. It is important to note that safe operations during bunkering is a responsibility of both the barge and masters receiving the vessel. There are responsible officers who ensure that handling procedures are adhered to. 2.3.1 Pre - bunkering checklist Before the actual bunkering operation, we ensured; I. Notice to state of adjacent waters. II. Proper secure of the vessel to dock. III. Correspondence of ordered product to supplier product. IV. Valves fully opened. V. Agreed on amount to be supplied. VI. Supply valves closed and full day tanks. VII. Proper display of warning signs for instance no smoking. VIII. Availability of SOPEP plan. IX. Oil boom and clean up material in place. X. Availability of functional foam fire extinguisher. XI. Supply valves for fuel tank fully opened. XII. Agreed pumping rate and emergency procedure for shut down. XIII. Hose and couplings were secure and in order. XIV. Board meter readings are okay and unused manifolds put off. XV. Master was informed before commencement of signal pumping. The checklist above was filled by the barge and ship staff, and the SOPEP locker ensured to contain items such as; absorbent materials, shovel, scoops, mops, brooms, dispersants, air driven pumps, etc. The items were placed in accessible points and marked for use before the operation commenced. 2.3.2 During bunkering procedures – checklist During the operation, the below checklist was filled and keen attention maintained until the process was completed. These include; I. Taking witness and sealing representative of two product samples. II. Constant monitoring of connections for of control tank, and flows of leaks fuel III. Tanks changeover whenever there was need. IV. Close monitoring of rates at which bunkers were received. V. Checking conditions of mooring ropes VI. Checking list of ship and bunker barge VII. Constant monitoring of the vessels position 2.3.3 Pro - bunkering procedures Immediately after bunkering, the line was thoroughly blown with compressed air to ensure complete removal of traces of oil in the line. The following was done after the operation. I. Close of bunker valve. II. Hose drained and disconnected. III. Truck and ship meter readings checked. IV. Signing of banker delivery note. V. Return of SOPEP plan returned to bridge. VI. Switching off of red light. VII. Removal of warning and safety signs. VIII. Fire extinguisher returned to its location. IX. Completion of record book and Master informed. A sample of bunkering safety checklist is shown below. Port of operation: ........................................Date and time: .................................................. Ship no: .......................................................Barge: ................................................................ Master (name): ....................................... Master (name): ......................................... Grade of oil Tonnage Volume at loading temperature Loading temperature Maximum rate of transfer Maximum pressure line Fuel oil ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. Gas oil ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. Lubricating oil in bulk ….. ….. ….. ….. …. Table 1: A table showing a sample of bunkering safety checklist 3. Results / Findings 3.1 Fuel oil sampling method Volumes of samples were extracted by the Chief Engineer at the ashore. The samples were sealed and signed by the Chief Engineer and the representatives of the supplier then placed at a safe location. It was then given to the third party for analysis. The senior superintendent in charge placed his comments and finally informed the vessel of the result. A sample of one liter bottle was extracted from the fuel oil by the above said process and retained until the fuel was consumed. MARPOL sample together with bunker delivery note was also well kept mainly for port state control. Drip sampling was used during the sampling procedure and started at the bunker loading to when loading stopped. One person was mandated to handle the samples with adequate prevention of foreign matter so as to improve accuracy of the analysis. At least five liters of the sample was collected for each grade and controlled by the drip sample valve. These connections were installed close to the shore bunker so that the samples could be drawn despite the position of the vessel. It was ensured that the samples and packaging criteria met the IATA regulations and filled to utmost ninety percent full to give allowance for volumetric variations. Three bottles were filled and sealed in the presence of Chief Engineer and the supplier, labeled and distributed to the supplier, one remained on board, another sent to VPS and the initial sample retained for three months before disposal. 3.2 Temperature density correction After bunkering operations, the quantities of oil in the tanks were calculated to ensure that the actual quantity received was equivalent to quantity ordered. Since the density of oil varies from place to place depending on the temperature, oil supplied at high temperature tends to have less volume compared to that supplied at lower temperature. This is explained as shown in the table below. Temperature Volume supplied Density High Less Low Low More High Table 2: Variation of volume and temperature of oil with density The temperature density correction was corrected by the following expression. MT = Corrected density temperature × actual volume (obtained from the sounding table) Corrected density temperature = fuel oil density at fifteen degrees celsius × (1 – ((T1 – 15) × 0.00064)) Where; T1 = oil temperatures in bunker tanks (oC) 0.00064 = Correction factor. 4. Discussions Many hazards are encountered during bunkering operations hence the need to carefully plan and execute the activities in safe manner. A report by MARPOL Annex VI revealed that on January 2012 there was a slight decrease of the global sulphur limit by 1%. It was then set as a rule that no bunkering can commence if the sulphur level is below 3.5%. Technically, the Master after consulting the Chief Engineer must confirm that the bunker fuel conforms with the specifications relating to a particular engine and machinery. The receipt for the bunker should be checked before delivery so that its density and viscosity are appropriate for vessels equipment. To reduce risks of environmental pollution, the Chief Engineer must supervise bunkering operation and ensure that the set procedures are followed and right amount of the grades are loaded. This operation should be performed as per the IMO manual on pollution prevention. Bunkers should be used only after the receipt of analysis data, and the parcels to be stored for fewer periods. Storage tanks should be heated by the help of heating coils so as to prevent development of wax crystals and for transfer purposes. The heating should be minimized in relation to fuel analysis data. Chemical additives on fuels are discouraged unless advised otherwise by the technical team. Prior to burning in the engine, all bunkers must be purified and the operating parameters monitored. Service tanks must also be checked regularly for water and any change reported to the Chief Engineer. Fuel deliveries, quantity loaded, suppliers, etc should be entered into the log book for record and future reference purposes. Fuel transfers and engine damages should also be recorded and maintained. Sampling of fuel should be done as recommended with correct labels. Damaged engines and auxiliaries should be retained on board for future reference. The table below shows some of the general responsibilities of the crew. Crew Responsibility Master In charge of all operations related to oil spillages and the steps to be taken. Chief Officer In charge of all deck operations and keeps the master updated on the progress. Chief Engineer In charge of all operations related to the bunker and reports to the Master. Duty Engineer Assistant to the Chief Engineer, ensuring availability of water and power to the deck. Duty Rating Raises alarm in case of oil spillages and take the necessary action. Deck Duty Officer Report any situation to the Chief Officer or Engineer. Table 3: General responsibilities of the crew 5. Conclusion In conclusion, there is a close relationship between MARPOL annexes and the bunkering operation. When there is oil spillages, it causes severe pollution to marine falling under annex one. But in case the bunker oil fails to meet specific specifications, it leads to air pollution that falls under annex six. Poor quality bankers cause much damage to the ship engines that has proved to be very expensive in terms of de-bunkering and repairs. It also consume much time when correcting the problem. Such problems can be reduced by following the correct practical steps mentioned above. In case of a bunker claim, the association should be involved early so that the right expert is chosen to maintain the importance evidence. 6. Recommendations The shipping industry should ensure that environmental protection is given a higher priority and more effort should be added to ensure protection and conservation of the environment from all forms of pollution. It should be a collective responsibility of all the staff at the shipping industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the set rules and regulations are adhered to during the operations. The Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan should be fully adopted and implemented according to the systems of regulation 37 of Annex I for pollution prevention. The Officers and Masters on board the ship should follow guidance provided by the plan prior and during the incident. Again, the right procedures should be followed to the latter during the bunkering operations and all the authorities/organizations concerned updated on the day to day operations in order to combat pollution. 7. References James and Kent. Riegel's Handbook of Industrial Chemistry.Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. ISBN (1983 pg. 492-493). Kirkpatrick, Perry, Robert, Chilton, Cecil, and Sidney. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. (1963). Robert W. "Rolls-Royce Revives Age of Sail to Beat Fuel Cost Surge: Freight". Bloomberg. (Retrieved, July 10, 2013). Schrooten, L, De Vlieger, et al. "Emissions of maritime transport, a reference system". Science of the Total Environment. (2009 pg 318–323). 8. Appendices 8.1 Bunker’s notification form This form must dully filled and be submitted twenty four hours before the vessel arrives Please fill in blank spaces below in block letters. Vessel no: …………………………………Agent name: ………………………………......... Telephone no: …………………………... Berth: ……………………………………............... Date: …………………………………... Time: ……………………………………………….. Cargo onboard: …………………………. Loading/unloading: ………………………………. Bunkers to be transferred (amount): …………………………………………………………. Bunkers to be transferred (type): …………………………………………………………….. I hereby verify to the top of my knowledge and ability that there are no spoiled, leaking or depreciated containers, tanks or parcels containing hazardous cargoes that may harmfully have an effect on the safety of people, docks area, ship or the environment.. Contact details of the agent. Postal address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Cell phone: ……………………………………………………………………………………. Email address: ……………………………………………………………………………....... Agent Stamp Vessel stamp Terminal Approval Port Authority Approval 8.2 Port contacts Port contact (name) Means of contact Physical address Remarks Responsible port authority ….. Fax……….. Cell phone no……… ….. Terminal crew ….. ….. ….. Local agent ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. 8.3 Certificate of insurance Name of Ship: ………………………………………………………………………………….. IMO Ship: ……………………………………………………………………………………… Identification no: ………………………………………………………………………………. Port: …………………………………………………………………………………………… Registry: ……………………………………………………………………………………… Full names and address of the place of business of the owner. This is to confirm that there is in force in respect of the above named ship a policy of insurance and/or other financial security satisfying the necessities of article seven of the international convention on civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage (2001). Security type: …………………………………………………………………….. Security duration: ………………………………………………………………… Full names and address of the insurer / guarantor: Name: ............................................................................................................................... Address: ......................................................................................................................... This document is valid until………………………. Certified by (Government) ............................................................................................................................................ (Designation of the State) 8.4 Members to the bunkers convention in Asia Figure 1: A map of Asia showing some countries that are registered members to the bunkers convention. Read More