Tanker Cargo Operations - 2nd Edition

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The Ultimate Guide to
Cargo Operations for Tankers

Table of Content
1 Pre- Arrival Preparation 1-30
2 Cargo Operation 31-94
3 Ballast/ De- Ballast Operation 95-106
4 Cargo Tank Atmosphere 107-134
5 Cargo Hold Cleaning 135-162
6 Testing 163-186
7 Emergency Inserting 187-192
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Marine Insight© Introduction
“The Ultimate Guide to Cargo Operations for Tankers” An oil tanker is a preferred choice to work on for
Publication date: Dec ’2012
several seafarers because of better remuneration
Latest Edition – May’ 2018 packages and fewer port visits as compared to other
types of ships. Working on tanker ships is
Published by: Marine Insight
www.marineinsight.com
somewhat different than other ships as the
Copyright 2018 Marine Insight hazards related to tanker operations are higher,
requiring additional training and safety precautions
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
for the safety of the ship and the crew.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be rewritten,
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or distributed in For seafarers who want to shift to tankers or even
any form or means, without prior written permission of the publisher.
those who are already working on them, it is difficult
NOTICE OF LIABILITY to understand and remember various tanker
operations and their procedures because of their
The authors and editors have made every effort possible to ensure complicated and hazardous nature. This guide helps
the accuracy of the information provided in the book. Neither the
authors and Marine Insight, nor editors or distributors, will be held in understanding these critical tanker processes
liable for any damages caused either directly or indirectly by the along with the step-by-step operating procedures
instructions contained in this book, or the equipment, tools, or and safety measures involved with them.
methods described herein.
Pre-Arrival Preparation
CHAPTER 1
Port Arrival
Preparation
Ship Shore Meeting
Port Arrival Preparation • All firefighting equipment to be in the state of
readiness
Navigation
• Emergency towing lines should be prepared
• Both the ship‟s radars must be fully operational forward and aft as required by the terminal
and working, including all navigational safety
equipment such as course recorders, autopilot, Reporting & Pilotage
engine controls, echo sounder, doppler log,
bridge telegraph etc. Most of the ports have a regulation, which requires
the vessel carrying oil cargo in bulk to report to the
• All the relevant charts and nautical publications relevant vessel traffic centers when crossing a
onboard must be updated and in correct form waypoint on an approved chart.
• Generators to be in parallel or power pack for E.g. Vessels over 40m LOA or over 50 GT must
backup must be in standby mode inform London VTS before the vessel navigates the
Thames and obtain clearance from the relevant
• Anchors, windlasses, mooring winches, and pilot VTS Centre to do so.
ladders to be cleared and ready for use
Similarly, most of the ports have the requirement for
1. l Marine Insight Cargo Operations for Tanker I 2.
compulsory pilotage. The master needs to contact the Special Requirement: Few ports have a special
agent, who will obtain the pilot services, or the ship requirement to display specific flags or lights for vessels
can call the dedicated pilot stations on VHF Channel carrying quantities of explosives, flammable or toxic
9. substances in bulk following discharge of such cargoes.
E.g. Oil tanker ships are required to display a red flag

by day and all-round red light by night. All vessels
should maintain a half-mile separation from specified
vessels. Permission is needed from the Harbour
Master before overtaking a specified vessel.
Cargo Control Room
Following preparation needs to be done related to the

cargo control room:
• Inert gas and crude oil washing systems must be

fully operational
Master Communicating with Port Authority
• Cargo pumps, valves and other associated • There should be no emissions of cargo vapor or
equipment must also be fully operational inert gas on ship‟s deck
• Deck seal and PV Breaker must have liquid levels

filled up as indicated
• All the pressure/vacuum valves‟ lever should move

freely
• If the cargo oil pumps are steam driven, then the

steam turbine for the same must be prepared; and
if the pumps are hydraulic driven, then ensure that
sufficient generators are running to support the
power packs
Crew Performing Pre-Arrival Checks • Ensure that the IG generator is ready for the start
• Inert gas recorders, trips, and alarms must be and the cargo tanks are in inert condition
tried out, and recording paper for IG printer
should be sufficient for the operation • Check if the portable gas meters are in working
conditions and the gas readings in tanks have Cargo Planning
been measured
Before arriving at the port, the chief officer has an
• Ensure all access points to the ship and cargo or essential duty of preparing a detailed cargo oil
ballast pump room do not have any oil or slippery discharge/loading plan. The chief officer must ensure
substances that the cargo plan has been understood by all the
personnel involved in the operation by displaying it in
• Check if all oil spill equipment tools are in the appropriate places such as bridge and CCR.
state of readiness
Real Life Incident
“A tanker arrived at Port of Avonmouth, UK for

discharge. During an inspection carried out by the
terminal safety inspector, cargo pump room bilges
were found to contain oil residues. The inspector
put this as a remark in the inspection report and as
a result cargo operations were allowed to
commence only after cleaning up the bilges” Ship Staff Meeting: Image Credit - Karun Yimyong

Company SMS says that the cargo plan copy should • Double Hull Operation/COT (Cargo Oil Tank)
be signed by all the ship's crew involved in the Monitoring Record
operation to confirm that the personnel have read
and fully understood the plan. • Ship to Ship Transfer Checklist (in case of STS
cargo operation)
A “Pre-transfer cargo safety meeting” should be
called well ahead of port arrival to discuss the
procedure with all the concerned crew, including the
do's and don'ts involved with the operation.
Special details, port requirements, and precautions or
procedures should be discussed with all personnel
involved in the discharge operation.
Most of the companies have an SMS requirement to

fulfil the following checklists prior arrival of the port:
• Crude Oil Washing Checklist
• Ship / Shore Safety Checklist STS Operation: Image Credit - Abang Hasurungan

Ship- Shore Meeting Once the ship reaches the port, the Master, Chief
Officer, and Chief Engineer carry out a “pre- cargo
Cargo Oil Transfer Meetings with the Terminal operation safety meeting” with the shore facility
Representative representatives to ensure that the steps taken by both
the parties are agreed upon.
The ship - shore safety meeting is an integral part for
commencing the cargo operation in the terminal. For a ship to ship transfer, the meeting is carried out
by the management level officers of both the ships
and similar information sharing is done as stated
above.
The complete cargo oil discharge/loading plan is

shared and reviewed to check for flaws or issues
beforehand so that no emergency can take place.
Ship and shore parties will also sign an agreement for

the method of communication during emergencies.
Meeting with Shore Representative

Once the meeting is finished, a “Ship/Shore Safety ullage ports (vapor locks) and other openings are shut
Checklist” or “Ship to Ship Transfer Checklist” (for and closed once the surveyor does the measurement.
STS Operation) must be completed and signed in
agreement by both parties.
Ullage measurement and Cargo Quantity

Calculation
For cargo operation, various parameters such as

water measurement, temperature, ullage and
sampling are carried out by shore side/ terminal side
representative or surveyor.
Chief officer must ensure one watch officer attend

and assist the terminal surveyor for measurements to
Checking the Ullage for Cargo Measureme
calculate the cargo quantity.
The watch officer should also note down all the
It is the watch officer‟s responsibility to check all the readings acquired by the port surveyor for cargo
measurement.
For discussing safety and operational matters prior onboard, and while boarding them surveyors or
commencing the cargo operations, a ship/shore crew members have faced accidents and suffered
meeting is carried out between the vessel and the severe head and spine injuries
terminal representatives.
Following points are reviewed before the ship/shore

interface begins:
• Means of safe access have to be provided between

the ship and the shore by ship‟s gangway or shore
gangway. In case of a ship to ship transfer, a
personal transfer basket is often used
• The gangway should be as dry as practicable, Ship Gangway; Image Credit- Josh Wilso
obstruction free and devoid of oil stains or • The ship has to be securely moored alongside the
slippery surface terminal or to a floating assembly to ensure it does
not move during the operation, wherein the vessel
• There have been numerous incidents in the past can become light and float up or get heavy and
when gangways were not appropriately secured settle down
“It is very vital for the duty officers to understand • Standard means of communication are portable
and recognize normal and emergency signals for UHF radios or walky-talkies. It is to note that ship‟s
communication.” VHF radio can also be used as a mode of,
communication. A primary and backup channel or
• The means and mode of communication between mode of communication must always be defined
the ship and shore must be established, and the before starting any cargo operation at the port
procedures should be discussed and agreed upon
• In case of fire onboard or at the terminal, the vessel
is required to rig towing pennants, which are also
called Fire Wires
• These wires are rigged on the opposite side to

which the loading arms are connected. Using them,
a vessel can be towed and immediately taken out of
the port limits or terminal
• Most of the terminals require eyes of the towing

pennants to be hanging around 1 meter above the
water level at all times
Ship Officer Communicating with Shore
• The firefighting equipment of the terminal and • The cargo transfer system should be sufficiently
vessel are ready, and the hoses must be rigged at isolated and drained to allow safe removal of blank
all times. Almost all the tanker terminals need the flanges
fire main of the ship to be charged before and
during the cargo operations
Real Life Incident
“A tanker was berthed at a private jetty in Kwinana,

Australia. It was an open harbor exposed to the sea
and tidal waves. During the high tide, the vessel
surged due to the action of waves. The spring ropes
were not able to take the full load, and they parted.
As a result, vessel shifted 5 meters forward thereby

damaging the shore loading arm. Later on, the Cargo Manifold in Oil Tanker Ship
vessel was moored with additional ropes.” • Those lines and manifolds which are not to be
used for cargo transfer should also be blanked and
isolated
• All the scuppers and save-all trays should be Real Life Incidences
plugged to prevent any spilled oil from escaping
overboard. Drip trays must be in place “In Singapore, due to an oil spill on deck from cargo
manifold, a duty officer gave a signal on VHF as “
• It is important to ascertain that the cargo hoses Universal Jetty 2 – Stop Stop Stop !“. The jetty
and loading arms are in good condition and personnel on jetty two immediately stopped the
properly rigged pump on the shore side. However, the oil still kept
coming on the deck. Later on, as the senior officers
• Ensure that all cargo and bunker tank openings rushed to the spot, they intimated that the vessel
are closed was berthed at Universal Jetty 1 and not Jetty 2.”
• The sea and overboard discharge valves must not “While loading cargo at Port Klang, Malaysia, the
be used during the operation and should be deck watch opened the scuppers at the aft to drain
securely lashed or sealed the rainwater. In the engine control, fuel oil was
being transferred from one tank to another. During
• Temporarily opened scupper plugs should be the transfer, the fuel oil tank overflowed, and thus oil
monitored at regular intervals of time escaped overboard through the aft scupper. During
the rounds, the deck watch noticed oil sheen in the
water and closed the scuppers immediately.”
Considering leakage of cargo vapors or inert gas on
deck from vessel or terminal, the openings for
accommodation, external doors, ports of stores etc.
must be closed, and the air condition unit should be
put on recirculation
Emergency Preparedness
• To assist the shore firefighting team in an incident

of fire onboard, a copy of ship‟s fire plan and
cargo stowage plan should be kept near the
gangway or at an external place which is easily
accessible
Fire Drill on Ship
• To avoid fire hazard, all cargo tanks should be • The ship should be enabled to move under its
inerted with positive pressure, and oxygen content power at all times while it is alongside a terminal
of less than 8 % by volume must be maintained
• Adequate personnel to be available onboard and
ashore to deal with an emergency
• The emergency procedure and shut down signal • The hazards and toxicity of various oil cargoes and
should be understood and explained to both ship vapors must be identified and understood
and shore personnel
• Various operations such as tank inspection of
empty tanks, ullaging and sampling of loaded tanks
should be carried out by closed methods to ensure
zero exposure to cargo or IG vapours
“Certain crude oils known as sour crudes contain

high concentrations of H2S in addition to HC
vapours. These are namely Maya and Isthmus crude
oils. While sampling or doing ullaging of these
cargoes caution should be exercised as even the
slightest amount of gas contains high ppm of H2S
which can be fatal for humans. Several crude oils like
Captain Crude from Nigg Bay U.K. is said to
Emergency Stop Hand Signalproduce severe skin irritations if they come in contact
• The material safety data sheet for cargo to be with the skin.”
transferred is a mandatory requirement
• The High-Level Alarms (95%) and Overfill • The tools used on deck must be of NON-SPARK
alarms (98%) must be checked to be fully type, and no naked lights, mobile phones, cameras
operational as their malfunction during topping must be allowed on deck or within terminal areas
up can lead to an oil spill on deck
• Smoking should be permitted only at designated
smoking places onboard
High Level & Overfill Alarm on Bridge No Smoking on Deck

• The tank venting systems should be agreed before • If any portable equipment tool is connected with
carrying out the operation. They can be through electrical cables within the hazardous area, it
mast riser or pressure/vacuum valves should be disconnected
• If a vapor return line is connected, its operating

parameters must be agreed by both the parties Real Life Incident
• Since the cargo moves at high velocity inside the “A Pumpman was hospitalized when he fell
pipeline, accumulation of static charges is unconscious while doing open sampling with the
impending. To avoid this, loading arms must be surveyor. While opening the Butterworth hatch for
connected to a bonding plate or cable to dissipate cargo tanks, he was facing directly towards the tank
the charges. Suitable insulation must also be opening, which was full of cargo vapours and high
provided PPM of H2S. For some time he felt the pungent smell
and eventually was knocked down due to prolonged
• The ship‟s aerials of radio transmitters and radars exposure.”
to be switched off as they emit high energy
electromagnetic waves
• Portable VHF / UHF must be intrinsically safe

Cargo Operation
CHAPTER 2
Cargo Loading
Cargo Unloading
Stripping
Cargo Loading The Floating turret system also enables the vessel for
mooring as well as for transfer of the oil from bow to
Loading of cargo from shore can be carried out in the midship manifold.
different ways such as:
• By gravity
• By shore pump
• Through ship to ship transfer
Oil tankers, nowadays, also load directly from the oil

field located at sea. To perform the loading operation,
the tanker is moored up to a floating buoy or turret, or
to a gantry. Many tankers perform cargo operation
using an advance loading system, combining a Bow
Loading (BL) system and a Submerged Turret Floating Turret
Loading (STL) system (connected to the bottom of When ships are moored in a port or jetty, the oil cargo
the ship via mating cone). is usually transferred using an articulated arm
loading/discharge system. A terminal may have 2 -5 Loading oil cargo in a tanker ship is a critical operation
arms which are used for different purposes; usually as there are associated dangers (oil pollution, fire,
two arms for loading and one for vapour return. explosion etc.), whose prevention require utmost
These are directly connected to the tanker‟s manifold diligence in planning and a full attention from the
located near the center of the ship. ship's staff at all stages of the operation.
“Before starting the loading operation, it is extremely
important to line-up the cargo tanks nominated for
loading.”
Let us assume that a tanker vessel „A‟ has a capacity of
50,000 MT of cargo to be loaded through closed loop
system.
It has 3 main lines leading from manifold to deck and

6 set of cargo tanks and 2 slop tanks namely 1W‟s,
2W‟s, 3W‟s, 4W‟s, 5W‟s, 6W‟s, Slop W‟s.
The cargo tanks are grouped by three color-coded

Articulated Loading Arm in Port lines on deck namely Red (1W‟s, 4W‟s), Blue
(2W‟s, 5W‟s), and Yellow (3W‟s, 6W‟s and Slop If it is decided to load the red group first using the red
W‟s). The process of loading is as follows: line, the line-up procedure would require all the
manifold valves on the deck and other cargo valves of
the system to be closed:
• Inert gas deck main isolation valve to be closed
• The manifold watch person must physically

confirm the cargo passing through the red line only
• In cargo control room, the ullage display for 4W‟s

tanks will show change upon receiving. However,
this should be manually confirmed with the help of
Red, Blue & Yellow Cargo Lines
an ullage interface detector tape
First Foot Loading: This stage involves loading up to a
foot or more in one of the tanks or all tanks. Samples • Once it is established that the cargo is flowing into
are then taken for analysis to find out whether the the tanks, other manifold crossovers can be opened
tanks are free of residues from the previous cargo and so that cargo can enter remaining lines, i.e. blue
are cleaned. and yellow, to join their respective group of tanks
• The initial rate which was 500 m3/hr can be
increased to the maximum permissible rate as
decided
• The flowing of cargo into other lines and the filling

of the remaining tanks must be confirmed using
UTI. The deck, manifold areas, pump room
should be checked for leakages
• As the loading is in progress, the de-ballasting

Checking Stability in Loadicator
operation should run simultaneously to comply
with the loading plan, which describes various “The maximum loadable rate of a cargo line is
decided by the venting arrangement provided with
stages with cargo and ballast quantities, along with
shearing forces, bending moment, drafts, trim and that particular group. E.g. If PV valves of 4Ws can
GM vent together vapors at 2700m3/hr then the
maximum loadable rate for 4W‟s or red line can be
• While de-ballasting, two ballast pumps can be used up to 2600m3/Hr. Always refer to the Volatile
to keep the vessel upright Organic Compound (VOC) manual of the vessel to
ascertain the maximum loading rate of a vessel.”
• During loading, as far as practicable, the list and Finally, as the tanks come to topping up levels, the
trim must be adjusted with the help of the cargo ullage should be manually confirmed after every 5 or
10 cm for last 50 cms; and every 1 or 2 cm for last 20
“As the tanks reach the level of around 5 meters, cms. Once 2 groups are finished, and only 4 tanks of a
the ullages should be reconfirmed with the CCR group remain, the rate can be reduced to 500 m3/hr.
display using the UTIs. Therefrom, the tanks should
be loaded in such a sequence that two groups are When all the cargo has been loaded and all the ballast
properly topped up before the final group fills up for has been discharged, the cargo left in top lines can be
topping up.” drained via bottom crossovers into tanks. The cargo
• Adjusting the vessel with ballast will lead nowhere quantities are then ascertained by the mate and the
as ultimately ship has to sail out without any ballast cargo surveyor. The cargo hoses are then
disconnected.
• All tanks should be loaded evenly. It is preferable
“Good combination for loading can be topping up
to load cargo tanks consistently as per the topping-
1W ‟s, 6 W‟s and Slop W ‟s, followed by 3W‟s, 4
up sequence
W‟s and lastly 2W‟s and 5W‟s. Keep 2 and 5 wing
tanks in the end as loading these 4 tanks will require
• The final group is decided by choosing the
one line only and also there won‟t be any drastic
manifold line in which the loading arm is
changes in list and trim, to keep the vessel upright”
connected
Real Life Incident
It is critical for a mate to check the ullages daily after
“It is imperative to keep a check while opening and sailing out from the loading port. The bottom lines of
closing various tank valves during a topping up some tankers which run through the tanks have often
operation. The tanks which have been topped up, been found with broken flanges. The inappropriate
their valves must be completely shut and the valve material used for fabricating nut and bolts in some new
switches should have protective covers. A topping up ships has been the reason for such cause.
operation was carried out on a tanker at Vopak
Terminal, Singapore. As a result of rough weather conditions at sea, often
the bottom line is subjected to excessive pressure. This
The duty officer accidentally opened the valve of leads to giving-away of nuts and bolts, opening of the
3W’s Cargo tank instead of 4W’s Cargo tank. 3W’s flanges, and mixing of separate groups with each other.
was already topped up to 98%. In few minutes Due to a difference in head of various tanks, cargo
before mate could realize, the mix-up cargo spilled flows from one tank to another by gravity and
on deck from PV valve of 3 Port Cargo Tank. The equalizes. This can prove to be a commercial disaster
operation was suspended and resumed after when carrying 2 different parcels or different grades
transfer of excess oil from No. 3 W’s to buffer tank mix with each other due to material failure.
carried out.”

While loading from an independent line system, each
Real Life Incident line leads to a particular set of tanks. However, all
these lines are connected to each other on the deck
“A vessel loaded Condensate as cargo from Mellitah, with the help of crossover valves.
Libya. As the ship sailed out and reached Suez Canal
the next day, the deck crew noticed cargo leaking Thus, using the crossovers on deck one line can be
from manifolds and drop valves. used to load all tanks.
The line was highly pressurized up to 10 bars. The operational procedure for loading in this kind of
Immediately the tank valves were opened and the system is quite similar to the closed-loop system with
pressure built up in the line was released into cargo the only difference that the former uses deck
tanks. Mellitah Condensate is a highly volatile crossovers and the later uses bottom crossovers.
cargo. As the lines were drained after loading, the
remaining cargo in lines expanded due to heat and “On completion of loading, during sailing all the
thus pressurized the line.” cargo line crossovers, drop valves and manifold cross-
overs must be kept open to accommodate any excess
pressure built up in the line due to change in
temperature.”

Duties of Deck Watch Officer and Crew • Duty watch person must ensure the oil is being
filled only in selected tanks by checking soundings
• During the ongoing loading operation, the essential of other unused tanks
responsibility of deck watch is to keep an eye on
oil leaks in the piping connections and near the
tanks where oil is being loaded (onboard and
overboard). More care to be taken during initial
stages of operation and when the topping up is
being performed
• During loading operations, watch oil loading

pressure all the time, and monitor parts where oil
is likely to leak. Excessive vibrations on piping
systems must be attended immediately
• Cargo leakage, however small, shall be paid

attention to at an early stage of operations.
Leakages from the piping system, joints, and valves
should be monitored Checking Leakages in Cargo Pipes
• Do continuous monitoring of the oil level of the changed-over
loading tanks until the shore flow rate settles down
• The chief officer will decide when the crew
assigned the cargo watch may dismiss; normally
done once the full loading rate is reached and all
cargo confirmation reports are received from
different stations
• Ballasting or de-ballasting operation to be carried

out as needed. Before carrying out the operation,
berth (Loading) Master‟s permission must be taken
by the chief officer or master
• De-ballasting is usually done just before the cargo

tank level reaches near topping operation.
Checking Ullage of Cargo Tank
• The cargo manifold back pressure to be • Single buoy mooring position monitoring shall be
monitored frequently and more emphasis to be carried out throughout the operation
given when the valves or tanks are being
During Completion of Operation • Chief officer must ensure enough personnel are
available on deck during the topping off operation
• Topping off is done once the cargo loading is
about to finish. The topping off method must be • A portable hydraulic pump must be readily
mentioned on the cargo loading plan by the chief available on deck complete with extra oil and
officer stating the maximum permitted topping off hoses, in case of a failure in the valve operating
rate system
• The duty deck officer should keep a check on the

quantity and rate of cargo loading, and calculate
the timing for informing the shore terminal in
advance for topping off operation
• Before commencement of topping off operation,

the duty watch on deck must check all the gauges
and level indicators to confirm the accuracy of the
CCR tank gauges
Installing Portable FRAMO pump

After Completion of the Loading operation shore terminal are to be drained properly. The
draining process should be carried out in the
• Once the terminal confirms the completion of presence of a responsible ship officer who will
cargo operation, the duty officer should make sure operate the drain valves, keeping the chief officer
the manifold gate valves are closed informed about the operation
• Cargo lines can become over pressurized and thus

care should be taken to ensure that they do not
become over pressurized due to high ambient
temperatures
• Post completion of cargo loading operation, the

Mast riser and other available venting systems must
be closed
• The tank pressure must constantly be monitored • Post completion of cargo loading operation, the
to ensure no over-pressurization is in the system Mast riser, and other available venting systems
must be closed
• The articulated arm and hoses coming from the Draining of Articulated Arms
• Once the draining operation is finished, all tanks Records and paperwork during cargo loading
and vent valves to be shut
Following items shall be recorded in Tanker Cargo
• The connection to be isolated and depressurised Log Book on an hourly basis or as specified in the
from the internal cargo tank IG pressure SMS of the ship:
• The remaining cargo in the ship's pipelines to be • The terminal loading rate to be compared with
dropped in the tank by gravity actual ship loading rate
• The duty officer must note down the temperature • The crew must record the comparisons of loaded
and ullage in each tank to calculate the total loaded cargo figures, i.e. the total cargo currently onboard
cargo quantity the ship and total cargo figure loaded on the vessel
stated by the shore
• On completion of gauging and sampling, all ullage
ports and other tank openings needs to be shut • Any difference in the records must be investigated
and the discrepancy to be reported to the chief
• The Inert Gas System recorder shall be switched officer
on to record and monitor the cargo tank‟s pressure
• Record of Manifold Pressure / Temperature at
regular intervals (hourly) Cargo Unloading
• Recordkeeping of draft and trim It is mentioned in the “Voyage Orders” that the vessel
should maintain a pressure of 100 Psi at the manifold
or complete the discharge operations within 24 hours.
These instructions are critical with regards to the

pumping capacity of the vessel. Also, the discharging
plan has to be prepared accordingly to ensure
compliance and to avoid extravagant claims arising due
to delay.
The above-mentioned plans imply that bulk discharge,

Ship Draft stripping or crude oil washing, educting of cargo tanks,
• Record of tank pressure and line stripping are to be planned effectively and
chronologically in such an order that there is no time
• Recording of levels in tanks not being discharged lag between these operations. Unloading can be
carried out using the cargo oil pumps (located in the
• Stress and Stability of the vessel pump room) in a closed loop system and an
independent line system using individual deep well the cargo in a loop, i.e. to take suction from 4Ws
pumps mounted inside all tanks. Following steps to be and pass the cargo through the pump, which makes
taken for discharge operation: it pass through the deck line master valve and
drops back into the cargo tank 4Ws via the drop
• The inert gas plant should be fully operational and valves. This should be done at minimum RPM
functional before starting any cargo pump
“A mate should be very careful while a surveyor
• All branch IG valves for tanks must be opened uses his sampler. Often surveyors take cargo samples
at the discharge port and send them for analysis
• The deck main isolating valve should be fully open before commencing discharge to verify that no
discrepancies are observed between load port
• Before discharge using steam-driven COPs, always samples and discharge port samples. For sampling,
ensure that the separators of the pump to be used they use ship‟s sampler or their own samplers. Often
are filled with liquid cargo. If not, they can be filled their samplers are found with loose ends, and as a
by opening the bottom cargo lines of the tanks result, sample bottles fall inside the tank. These
going to the pumps bottles during trim can reach the aft section of the
tank and near the suction well of the pump.
• Initially, the line up should be made to recirculate Sometimes these bottles get trapped inside a deep
well pump‟s casing, thereby seizing the pump”.
• The Chief Officer will check the deck preparation • Once the shore terminal confirms that the facility is
for discharging of the cargo. Once all checklists are ready to receive cargo, the chief officer will instruct
completed and the setup is satisfactory as per the the deck watch to open the designated valve as per
cargo discharge plan, he/she will contact the shore the cargo plan. The manifold valve can be opened
facility representative to inform the ship slowly, and the drop valves of the same line can be
preparedness closed
• Once the drop lines are closed, the cargo starts

passing to the manifold and over to the terminal.
This should be confirmed by a deck watch who
would then verify cargo passing through the line
and the pressure at the manifold
• The initial discharge to commence at reduced

speed, and once the shore representative confirms
that there are no oil leaks and the cargo is going
into the designated tank, the pumping rate can be
increased to the pressure as decided in the ship-
Reviewing Checklists and Paper work
shore meeting
61. l Marine Insight Yard Delivery Procedure l 62.
• As more pumps are required more tanks can be
“If pumps are running idle for sometime before opened, or pumps can be made common using the
commencing discharge or inbetween, re-circulating pump crossovers in the pump room. At the same
cargo within the line is a better method of keeping the time, open bottom crossovers in tanks to ensure
pumps idle than closing the discharge valve. Keeping that the fluid keeps flowing to the pump
the discharge valve closed with the pump running can
lead to the churning of cargo, which raises casing and
bearing temperature above allowable limits.”
• As the cargo passes through the manifold, the deck

watch person should confirm the manifold
surroundings and the pump room area should be
cleared of any unwanted oil discharge or leaks
• The engine room can then be notified to increase

the steam pressure for increasing the RPM of
COPs or to start more pumps to comply with the
required discharge rate
COP Arrangement on Ship
• Once both the pumps have started, they must be “As the initial stage starts to settle down with pumps
run at same discharge pressure and their pressure running normally, the pressure is kept to a minimum,
must be increased slowly and deliberately to avoid and the cargo is discharged through required tanks
pressure surges. The cargo tank ullages must be only. The connections are thus proved and the
monitored frequently during the initial stages to pumps can be increased to the maximum required
ensure that the cargo is getting discharged only RPM to attain bulk discharge rate.”
from the required tank and not getting transferred
to other tanks • All the joints and flanges on the deck and in the
pump room must be checked visually to ensure no
leaks are present when pumps are running at
maximum load. Simultaneously, ballast pumps
must be started to contain shearing forces and
bending moments within the permissible limits
• If all tanks are 95% full or above, always de-

bottom all the tanks up to 90% or less and then
commence bulk discharge or group-wise
segregation to avoid cargo overflowing on deck in
Checking Ullage During Cargo Operation cases where trim or list exceeds extreme values
• Deck watch to confirm that there are no oil leaks
“A good discharge plan will always maintain group from piping joints and no oil is flowing out of the
wise segregation between tanks so that when cargo tanks other than the tank being used
levels are low, individual pumps can be run in
respective groups and staggered in such a way that as • Once the operation is running smoothly, open
the stripping of one group is done the next 2 groups delivery valves to start pumping oil and other
are running at their maximum rate”. pumps as per the plan
• A portable Framo pump is provided onboard in • Follow the terminal representative instruction to
case any of the pumps malfunctions. The hydraulic increase the manifold pressure to the agreed
lines on deck are equipped with manifolds to pressure
connect to the portable pump
• The deck watch shall continuously check for oil
Deck Watch and Personnel Arrangement leaks in the cargo area throughout the oil discharge
operation
• Once the shore-ship side is ready for cargo
unloading, open the manifold valves, and start the • When discharging multiple grades, care needs to
first cargo pump at slow speed be taken to isolate the correct valve and to stop the
pump as required
• The level gauges of all discharging tanks to be • Ensure ballast tank is not filled over 90% of the
continuously monitored. More care to be taken tank level
when the shore tanks are of a greater height, which
can cause back pressure and filling back of ship's
cargo tanks
• To stop the cargo pump, reduce the pump RPM

to the minimum, fully close the delivery valve,
notify the engine department, and then stop the
pump
• Ballasting and de-ballasting to be carried out as per

the ballast plan, after taking permission from the
harbor master
• Precautions need to be taken for deciding heated

cargo discharge i.e. not filling the adjacent ballast
tank if the cargo is heated in the hold
Shore Storage Tank
Trim and Draft variation is well within the height limitation of manifold
/ loading arms.
Trim and draft plays an important role during the
discharge operation as the suction mouth of the pump Efficient Operation of Centrifugal Cargo Pumps
is usually located at the aft end of the tank and the
trim aft will help strip the cargo from the tank. Trim The standard practice to operate the centrifugal pumps
and draft are regularly checked during the operation is to run at full nominal RPM, especially during bulk
and the trim is applied as described in the COW discharge.
manual for stripping the cargo tank.
Both the pumping efficiency and pumping rate are
affected when the pump is run at reduced RPM.
Once the tank level goes down and the ullage touches
low-level values, it is always advisable to partially close
the discharge valve instead of reducing the pump
revolutions. This is done to reduce the flow rate and
also to prevent cavitation in the pump (pump sucking
Ship Trim Aft gas at suction side due to vortex formation/
Ensure the draft maintained after allowing for tidal gasification).
cavitation in the cargo pump. Vibration in the pump
"A 40% open butterfly valve will allow nearly the same will increase the cavitation rate.
flow rate as a 100% open butterfly valve. The RPM
can always be reduced as necessary". A responsible officer on watch in the cargo control
room (CCR) must observe the tachometer and the
If the pump is operated incorrectly and inefficiently discharge pressure, and be prepared to operate
(e.g. pump is trying to discharge more cargo than ("throttle") the pump discharge valve once the pressure
entering the suction side), the chances of cavitation will falls or to shut down the pump if it loses suction.
increase.
This usually happens with high viscosity cargo or

where the cargo is highly volatile (high RVP cargoes).
The tank IG pressure plays a critical role in increasing
the pump's Net Positive Suction Head.
If the cargo pump is drawing gas or air in the suction

instead of fluid, the pump would then be operating in
a partial vacuum instead of the fluid. The suction
pressure is a critical parameter to know about the Monitoring Parameters in CCR- Image Credit: Sarthak Nayak
The Auto Unloading System (AUS) shall be correctly • Slowly open the inlet and return valves. Initially,
and effectively utilized to reduce the overall discharge keep the hydraulic system pressure low up to 60
time. bars
Procedure for Starting Portable Framo Pump
• Connect the hydraulic manifolds provided in the

hydraulic deck lines (They run forward to aft for
providing hydraulic oil to the cargo pumps). Keep
the inlet and return valves supplied near the
hydraulic manifold closed
• Connect the flexible suction and discharge hoses to

the portable Framo pump
• Rig the assembly over the tank hatch using a Operating Portable FRAMO Pump
tripod, lower it slowly into the liquid and fix it • As the pump starts running, check all hydraulic,
firmly to the cargo pump. Vibration in the pump suction and discharge hoses are capable of
will increase the cavitation rate. withstanding the operation
• If all is confirmed in order slowly increase the Completion of Discharge
system pressure as required
• Once the cargo operation is called complete from
ship and shore side, the manifold gate valve is to be
closed
Manifold Valves
• After the completion of a dry survey by the
terminal, the hoses and arms connected to the
Portabkle FRAMO Pump piping manifolds are to be drained before disconnection
• Once the draining operation is finished, tank • Deck watch must check the ullage and the quantity
valves and vent valves are to be closed remaining in the tanks, from which, cargo has been
unloaded
• The duty officer must ensure that the connection is
depressurized and isolated from the internal cargo • After completion of the cargo operation, ullage
tank IG pressure ports, vapour locks and all other tank openings to
be closed
• Care should be taken to ensure that cargo lines do

not become over-pressurized due to high ambient
temperatures
“The Chief Officer should frequently check ship

stability and hull stresses to ascertain that they are
within permissible limits. These checks shall be
constantly performed during ballasting/deballasting
and upon cargo operation completion.
Deck Watch Keeping a Check

• The Inert Gas System recorder to be switched on Cargo Completion Survey
to record and monitor the cargo tanks pressure
The cargo completion survey is done by the terminal
surveyor, who after satisfactory inspection, issues the "
Dry certificate / ROB certificate.
Inert Gas Generator Panel
• After adjusting the inert gas pressure in tanks, the

IG system to be stopped when the pressure
reaches the prescribed value (usually 1000 mmAq)
Surveyor Making Records
The deck watch officer must attend the terminal of the terminal side
surveyor or berth master when cargo tank gauging is
done to confirm the tank is free from pumpable • Cargo levels (ullage) in tanks not being used
(liquid) cargo. Any remaining Un-pumpable cargo
must be documented with suitable remarks on the • The pumping performance record/pumping log
certificate.
• PumppPressure and RPM
The vessel is to prepare a dry certificate or ROB
certificate (in case the cargo tank contains pumpable • Manifold pressure / temperature
liquid). The deck officer or chief officer should insist
for the copy of the surveyor's document for onboard • Draft & Trim
documentation.
• Stress and Stability of the vessel
Recordkeeping in Tanker Cargo Log Book
• Tank pressure
Following items shall be recorded in Tanker Cargo
Log Book on hourly basis : • Issue time and date of the dry certificate or ROB
certificate
• Discharged Quantity (Rate) to compare it with that
Stripping As the tank sounding reaches 2 meters or less, switch
on the auto unloading system, set the vacuum pumps
Stripping is the process of completely draining down to auto, open gas extraction valve, and put the
the cargo tanks during discharging. A proper pneumatic discharge valve on auto. Thus, the auto
understanding of the ship‟s pumping system is unloading system maintains the level of cargo in the
essential to achieve maximum cargo outturn and separator by throttling the pneumatic discharge valve
minimum discharge time. and also by using vacuum pumps to remove air
trapped in the line.
“For driving the eductor through slop tank in a closed

cycle, one of the slop tanks is required to hold cargo
of about 350 - 400m3”.
The remaining pumps can be run into their respective

groups. The COP re-circulates cargo into slop tank at a
high discharge pressure of approximately 8 bars. A
vacuum is created by the cargo eductor, which is used
to educt the group “red” utilizing the stripping line
connected at the bottom of the tank to the main cargo
Eductors arrangement in Oil Tankers
line. Thus, the eductor strips the group and discharges recommended as on some old ships it has resulted in
the cargo into slop tank. Cargo eductor can be lined buckling of lines.
up as one of the three groups reaches completion.
By the time group “yellow” is being educted, the
“As the eductor removes remaining cargo from the engine room can be notified to prepare steam for the
tanks, if the cargo heating is in progress, it should be stripper pump for warming up and making it ready for
shut down as soon as the tank gets empty or the cargo use.
level will fall below the heating coils inside the tank.
The main steam valve should be throttled as the Before starting the stripper pump for line stripping, the
demand for steam reduces.” suction and discharge line-up for stripper pump should
be confirmed. This is because as the pump is a positive
As the eductor develops the vacuum in the line, a displacement pump it can develop enormous pressure
compound gauge for suction indicates the suction in the discharge line.
pressure. When the suction pressure becomes zero, it
indicates no or very less cargo. If the suction pressure The stripper pump with the help of controlled strokes
is slightly negative, it indicates that cargo is still there. from CCR, strips the main cargo line and discharges
the cargo through a smaller line known as Stripping
Developing high negative pressure, i.e. more than 1 Line. All the bottom and top crossovers to be kept
bar inside the line by keeping valves closed is not open to strip the pump casings, separators, drain
lines of COPs, bottom lines, and sections of bottom Air coming in from gooseneck assembly is a good
cross-overs. While carrying out line stripping, a indication that the stripper pump is working
gooseneck valve arrangement is provided in the satisfactorily.
crossover section.
Finally, as the cargo lines are stripped, the pump can
The purpose of this assembly is that as the cargo in the be stopped slowly and the steam to the system can be
line flows to the pump, the air enters the gooseneck shut.
assembly and fills the vacuum created by the pump.
Initial process in strippin fot independent line
system is as follows:
“The last group or line to be stripped should
preferably be the one in which manifold arm is • The feed pumps for the hydraulic power packs are
connected. The lesser are the number of turns and started from the control panel
bends in a line the better is the performance of the
pump. Hence keeping the manifold line as the last • As the feed pumps stabilize, the engine room can
one enables the pump to strip tanks directly ashore be advised to start the generators for using power
without circulating them through the manifold packs. (Power packs are electrically driven pumps
crossover.” which drive hydraulic fluid into the pumps for
89. l Marine Insight
running) Cargo Operations for Tanker I 90.
• Generally, all 4 power packs can be used to run 6 • System pressure is to be kept 15 - 20 bars higher
pumps at a time than the required pressure for pumps. Thus, to
increase pump‟s driving pressure, the system
• As the engine room confirms to use power packs, pressure should be raised first, and then the
the start button for the power pack can be pressed pump‟s driving pressure should be increased
on the panel above. As the power pack starts, the
green LED flickers and then stabilizes “When changing over pumps, reduce the hydraulic
pressure of all pumps to minimum or 120 bars, close
• Similar procedure to be followed for the remaining the discharge valve of the pumps, and reduce their
three power packs pressure to 0 bars. Slowly increase the pressure of the
pumps which are to be started, keeping their
• The tanks can now be lined up for commencing discharge valves closed.
discharge As the discharge pressure of these pumps exceeds the
manifold discharge pressure, open the discharge
• After starting the power packs, the pressure is set valves. As the valves are fully open, all the pumps
for the hydraulic oil which is running in the system. which are running can again be increased to resume
The system pressure decides the maximum bulk discharge. DO NOT FORGET to increase
pressure to be supplied to drive the pumps system pressure before increasing the pump‟s
pressure.”
As the power packs are now running, the deep well speed-torque controller valve, which can be used to
pumps can be started by moving the lever for the control the pump pressure locally. This is also used to
respective tanks which are planned for discharge strip the cargo tanks from the deck.
initially.
To transfer control locally on deck, set the system
pressure to 120 bars and then reduce the pump
pressure in CCR to 0 bars. Using the speed torque
assembly, the pump can now be controlled locally to
strip the tanks.
“After starting the power packs, the pressure is set for

the hydraulic oil running in the system. The system
pressure decides the maximum pressure to be
supplied to drive the pumps. System pressure is to be
kept 15 -20 bars higher than the required pressure for
the pump”
The pump assembly on deck is provided with a

Ballasting/ De-Ballasting Operation
CHAPTER 3
Types and
Regulations
Ballast/ De-Ballast
Operation
Regulations The SBTs are special tanks which are constructed only
to carry ballast water. Ballast water contained in
Types of Ballast Tanks in Oil Tanker segregated ballast tanks never come into contact with
either cargo oil or fuel oil.
Segregated ballast tanks (SBT): Ballast water is taken
on board to maintain stability when a vessel is sailing Clean ballast tanks (CBT): A cargo tank can also be
empty to pick up cargo or after unloading the cargo. called as CBT in an oil tanker if it is dedicated for
carrying ballast water (once the tank is free from the
cargo).
Regulations related to oil tankers
As per MARPOL Annex 1, Regulation 18 - Every

crude oil tanker of 20000 tonnes deadweight and
above and every product carrier of 30000 tonnes
deadweight and above delivered after 1st June 1982, as
defined in regulation 1.28.4, shall be provided with
segregated ballast tanks.
Segregated Ballast Tanks- SBT
The capacity of segregated ballast tanks shall be so Ballasting or de-ballasting operation to be carried out
determined that the ship may operate safely on as needed. Before carrying out the operation, berth
ballast voyages without any need of cargo tank as (Loading) Master‟s permission must be taken by the
clean ballast tank for water ballast except when in chief officer or master.
need. In no case shall ballast water be carried in
cargo tanks (Clean Ballast tanks), except:
1. On those rare voyages when weather conditions

are so severe that in the opinion of the master, it
is necessary to carry additional ballast water in
cargo tanks for the safety of the ship; and
2. In exceptional cases where the particular

characteristic of the oil tanker operation renders
it necessary to carry more ballast water than the
quantity required, provided such action of the oil
tanker falls under the category of exceptional
cases as established by the Authority
Tank Level Gauges in CCR
Before starting de-ballasting, the sighting ports of all Once the ballast tanks are sighted and checked,
ballast tanks must be opened, and water surface must deballasting can be commenced using one or more
be checked for any oil sheen. ballast pumps.
The pump should be primed with seawater by opening

the tank valve. As the pump starts, the discharge valve
should be opened slowly. The rate of deballasting
depends on the loading rate; if loading rate is faster,
the vessel should deballast using both the pumps.
During initial stages of loading, deballasting can be

used to keep vessel upright. The final stage of
deballasting includes stripping of ballast tanks. Ballast
pump drives ballast eductor and the discharge goes
overboard. The suction created in eductor is led
to ballast tanks via a thin line known as stripping line.
The ballast stripping line is entirely separate and

Oil Tanker Conducting Ballast Operation
independent from the cargo stripping line.
The drive pressure for this line is usually up to 4 -5 For ballasting cargo tanks initially by gravity, sea chest
bars. On some ships instead of ballast pump, fire valve is opened, and water is led into the ballast tanks
pump is also used. by opening the tank valve. Later on, when the rate of
gravity decreases, pumps can be lined up to take
suction from the sea chest and discharge it into the
ballast tanks.
Records
1. Valid Certificate: All vessels of the party states are

required to have a certificate, indicating that they
are the undersigned party of the International
Water Convention and are required to apply to all
the terms in due diligence.
2. Ballast Water Management Plan: The copy of the

BWM plan to be carried on board, containing
information regarding the requirements of ballast
Pump Parameter water such as :
• Procedure for reporting to different port
authorities
• Assistance to the master in exchanging the

ballast water in a safe manner
• Safety procedures for ship and crew
• Circumstances in which ballast water

exchange should not be undertaken
3. Ballast Water Record Book: It is mandatory to

keep a ballast water record book onboard, which
will indicate the place, time and the amount of
ballast water operations of the vessel.

MASTER DRY DOCK
OPERATIONS
For Marine Engineers For Deck Officers

Controlling Tank Atmosphere
CHAPTER 4
Inerting
Purging
Gas Freeing
Inerting
Why inert operation?
Highly flammable hydrocarbon (HC) gases are usually

present in the cargo tank atmosphere on oil tankers.
HC cannot burn in an atmosphere containing less
than approximately 11% oxygen by volume. This
oxygen control is done by inerting, a process of
replacing the tank atmosphere by an inert gas whose
O2 content is less than 8%.
Thus, inerting is carried out for replacing the tank

atmosphere by introducing inert gas to ensure oxygen
content is 5% or less by Volume.
The main purpose of using inert gas on ships is to:
• Inert the atmosphere of empty cargo tanks

Inert Gas System on Deck
• Inert the atmosphere of the cargo tank during 1. Dilution:
cargo discharge
In this method, the inert gas is forced into the tanks at
• Purge tanks before gas freeing high velocity so that the IG reaches even the bottom
part of the tank.
• Top up the pressure in the cargo tanks when
necessary during other stages of the voyage
Method of inerting tank atmosphere:
The most common methods used for inerting a tank

atmosphere used onboard ships are:
1. Dilution
When the inert gas enters, it mixes with the original
2. Displacement tank atmosphere to form a homogeneous mixture
throughout the tank so that, as the process continues,
the concentration of the original gas decreases
progressively.
In this method, a limit must be placed on the number 2. Displacement:
of tanks that can be inerted simultaneously to get the
desired results. This method works on the principle that the inert gas
is slightly lighter than hydrocarbon gas. Hence, the
inert gas is made to enter from the top of the tank; the
heavier hydrocarbon gas escapes from the bottom
through the piping arrangement.
The displacement method uses the inert gas at a very

low velocity to enable a stable horizontal interface
between the incoming and escaping gas. This method
allows several tanks to be inerted or purged
simultaneously.
Whichever method is employed, whether inerting or

purging, it is vital that oxygen or gas measurements are
taken at several heights and horizontal positions within
the tank to check the efficiency of the operation.

A mixture of inert gas and petroleum gas, when vented • After opening the deck main isolation valve, the
and mixed with air, can become flammable. inert gas generator must be started
The safety precautions which are normally taken when • The control of the generator is to be taken in cargo
the petroleum gas is vented from a tank, therefore, control room
should not be relaxed.
• Once the line is set to deliver inert gas into tanks,
Inerting is done to reduce the content of oxygen in the the inert gas delivery to deck should be started
tanks. All tanks must be inerted to make them free of
cargo residues. Wherever Purge pipes are fitted in the • Monitor the oxygen content of the inert gas and set
line, they should be provided with proper flame the pressure in the tanks to 700mm WG
screens.
The following procedure is to be followed: “Keep monitoring the oxygen content of the inert
gas, which is delivered by the sampling from sample
• All openings to cargo tanks to be closed and points provided on the line. The tank O2 levels to be
branch inert gas valves to be opened monitored continuously to ascertain if the oxygen
content is reducing to 8% or less.”
• Open the gas freeing port lids on the PV valves
• Go on with purging by inert gas until the the tanks 3P and 4P had been created and it has
hydrocarbon content reduces to the transferred almost 30m3 of cargo from 3P to 4P.
required/desired level This could have turned into a horrendous mistake if it
had been two different parcels or 2 different grades.”
Real Life Incident
As the oxygen content reduces to 8% or less, reduce
“Mellitah condensate is a highly volatile cargo with the inert gas pressure to 150 mm WG and close the
peculiar properties. Its viscosity is very low. One of gas freeing lid.
the tankers loaded Mellitah condensate from Libya.
The vessel topped up 2 tanks, in the end, using 2 When inerting for all tanks is completed, raise the line
independent lines for 3P and 4P cargo tanks. and inert gas pressure in the tank to 700mm WG. Shut
down the plant and close the main deck isolation valve.
As the loading stopped and the manifold draining Confirm that all the gas freeing lids are also closed.
commenced, the crossover valve, which was at least
3 meters above the level of cargo in tanks between “After opening the deck main isolation valve, the
the lines of 3P and 4P, was also opened. After some inert gas generator must be started. The control of
time it was noticed that the syphon effect between the generator is to be taken in cargo control room
(CCR).”

Purging The cargo tanks may be purged with inert gas to
reduce the concentration of the hydrocarbon gas inside
Purging is carried out to remove hydrocarbon vapors the tank atmosphere. Purge pipes, with proper flame
present in the tank for eliminating any risk of fire. It is screens, shall be fitted, where provided.
also used to remove flammable mixture formed inside
the tanks whenever oxygen is introduced into the Procedure for purging is as follows:
tanks. This is usually done after tank cleaning
operations. • Follow the procedures as laid out in the operation
and equipment manual
• Ensure that all the cargo tank openings on deck are

closed and secured
• Open the gas freeing ports on the first set of tanks

to be purged. For e.g. 1 Port and 1 Starboard
• Open the inert gas inlet valve only for the same set,
and the inlets to rest all tanks should be closed
Purging Arrangement on Ship
Cargo Operations for Tanker I 120.
• Start the IG plant and open the deck main • This procedure can be followed to purge the
isolation valve remaining tanks
• Check that the inert gas supplied should have

oxygen less than 8%
• Maintain the Inert gas velocity as per the method

used for purging (dilution or displacement)
• Keep checking the gas readings of the tank to

ensure that the hydrocarbon (HC) concentration is
reduced to 2% or less and the oxygen content of
the tanks is less than 8%
• Upon achieving the above readings, shut the gas Gas Detector
freeing lid of 1 Port and Starboard “For Entry in the tank, ensure gas readings of the
tank show HC concentration reduced to 2% or less
• Close the Inert gas inlet to the tanks and open and the oxygen content is less than 8%.”
them for the next set of tanks to be purged
Gas Freeing The sketch shows a diagrammatic view of an
explosimeter.
A cargo oil tank should never be entered in “inert”
condition. Gas-freeing, as the name suggests, is to
remove all hydrocarbons (HC) and inert gases from
the tank to make it fit for “human entry,” i.e. oxygen
content to be 21%.
A cargo tank which has hydrocarbon level-up to 2 %

or less can only be gas freed. Fresh air is introduced
into the tank using inert gas blowers through the inert
gas mainline itself.
The safest way to gas free an oil tank fitted with an

Explosimeter
inert gas system is to use a fan and vent the tank.
Before entry, an O2 meter must be used, and the tank The combustion chamber is cleared of any residual
must also be checked with an explosimeter. gases by the aspirator bulb in fresh air. The meter is
These meters must also be used while in the tank. then switched on and the detector element is allowed
to heat up.
Cargo Operations for Tanker I 124.
be continuously monitored for explosive
With the check switch is closed, the zero adjustments hydrocarbon vapors
of the meter are checked.
• All crew involved in the gas freeing activities must
Precautions for gas freeing operation: wear appropriate protective gears and clothing
• Chief officer to ensure only personnel designated

for the Gas freeing operations should be allowed
on the main deck
• The proposed duration for the gas freeing

operation to be decided well ahead of the
operation in a pre-operation meeting
• If there are small crafts alongside the vicinity of the

tanker, their personnel should also be notified
about the gas freeing operation and hazards related
to the same
• The atmosphere near the operational area should Tank Entry

• Many tanks have common venting arrangement for freeing operation is being drawn into the
all cargo tanks. In such cases, each tank should be accommodation, the air conditioning and
isolated to prevent the transfer of gas to or from mechanical ventilating systems should be stopped
other tanks immediately
• When the ship is underway, it may become

necessary to slightly alter the course for preventing
hydrocarbon vapors from accumulating in the 1. Open 2. Shut
accommodation areas
• During the gas freeing operation, the intakes of

central air conditioning or mechanical ventilating
systems should be monitored and adjusted, if
required, to prevent the entry of harmful gases
• Ensure to maintain Positive pressure in

accommodation
• If it is suspected that harmful gases from gas Open and Shut Ventilation Ports
Gas Freeing Procedure: • Fresh air is to be supplied to the deck by pressing
the air venting push button
Let us assume that gas freeing is to be carried out for
Fresh Air Inlet to Open
one tank, i.e. 1 Port. The said tank has HC content
less than 2 % and it is decided to blow air into the tank
for “gas freeing”.
• For this, ensure all those tanks which are not to be

gas freed are isolated except 1 Port
• All the cargo tanks, which are not to be gas freed,

their pressure should be lowered up to 50 mm
WG
Gas Freeing Using Fresh Air Blank
• The IG system is set up in the engine room, and • Open the inert gas inlet to 1 Port
the control is handed over to the cargo control
room (CCR) • The pressure of the air can be controlled by the
pressure regulator button to deliver the desired
• Now, Open the IG deck main isolation valve pressure
• As the air enters the tank via the inert gas line, the changed over to another tank by closing the air
pressure or velocity of the air should be sufficient inlet and vent openings for the previous tank and
to force its way through the bottom of the tank as it opening the inert gas inlet valve for the next tank
has to dilute the whole tank‟s atmosphere
“To ensure good velocity of air entering the tanks,
• Initially, for some time the tank atmosphere can be it is advisable that lesser tanks are gas freed
vented by the gas freeing port. However, after simultaneously, may be one or two at a time. This
some time the tank hatches also can be opened for results in air entering with good velocity, hence faster
venting dilution and gas freeing becomes a speedy process.”
• Keep monitoring the oxygen inside the tank at all Gas-freeing can also be carried out using portable
levels until it rises to 21% O2 hydro blowers onboard. They are of exhaust type and
can be fitted over the top of the tank cleaning hatches
• A thorough check should be carried out for lower by opening the cover, as shown in the figure.
explosion limit (LEL), which should be 0, and
H2S concentration if present should be within Once fitted, hydro blowers can be run continuously by
permissible limits water hoses and areused for gas freeing in addition to
the Inert gas blowers
• Once a tank is gas freed, the process can be
“A thorough check should be carried out for LEL In gas freeing method, the flammable gases are
which should be 0, and H2S concentration if present replaced by inert gases by pushing out the former to
should be within permissible limits.” the atmosphere. The release of gases at deck level or
through tank hatch openings depends on the
ventilation and number of openings for gas freeing
operation. This should be controlled for producing an
exit velocity sufficient to carry the gas clear of the deck.
The inert gas pressure in adjacent tanks to be reduced

to minimum (200mmAq) to prevent the ingress of
hydrocarbon gas / IG through any leaking valves,
pipelines or bulkheads. All other valves in the tank
(including machine valves) should be closed.
Extraction Fan Arrangement If gas freeing is taking place while the vessel is at
During the gas freeing operation, atmosphere tests to anchor, it may be necessary to suspend operation
be made at several levels and in each compartment of during calm or no wind condition; which means the
the tank. If satisfactory gas readings are not obtained, harmful gases released in the atmosphere will not be
ventilation must be resumed. displaced.
Cargo Hold Cleaning
CHAPTER 5
Crude Oil Washing
Tank Cleaning
Crude Oil Washing - COW Usually, a good aft trim of up to 3 meters or more
must be maintained during COW and Stripping.
Crude oil washing is carried out to ensure that the
sludge and clingage (a term used to refer cargo
residues sticking to the tank walls and surfaces) are
minimum and there is maximum outturn of cargo.
Cargo tanks are crude oil washed during the

discharge operation using one of the deep well
pumps. Before commencing crude oil washing, it is
necessary to de-bottom all tanks as this removes water
present in the crude oil.
The removal of water helps in reducing static charges

generated during washing. During the discharging
operation, before crude oil washing, slop tank should
be emptied and recharged with fresh crude from
other tanks using bottom lines.
COW pump
Preparation For COW Operation Ensure the chief officer informs all the ship staff
involved in the COW operation about the following
• Master should take the COW operation points:
permission from the terminal in-charge
• Which tanks and in what order crude oil washing
• The COW machinery and operational to be performed
preparations to be done as per the checklists
• Methods to be used for washing each tank
• Pressure test the COW line and check for any
abnormalities before entering the port • At what ullage the COW operation should start
• Before starting the crude oil washing work, • Any other operation being performed parallel with
confirm that the concentration of oxygen in the the COW operation
tank is below 8% by volume
• The quantity of ballast condition of the ship at the
• The pressure inside the tank during the crude oil time of departure
washing work should be maintained at more than
+1.961 kPa (+200 mmAq)

Cargo Washing Procedure wash cycle of 60 minutes
Let us assume that we have to do COW for cargo • The bulk discharge from 1W‟s and 4W‟s can be
tank no 2 W‟s as it has reached stripping levels, using resumed
slop starboard tank through an OPEN CYCLE
WASH. • Start the deep well pump for slop starboard and
pressurize the COW main line by slowly opening
• Line up the slop pump to discharge into the tank the pump discharge valve up to 9 bars
cleaning mainline. Ensure at least 7-8 meters of
the head of cargo is present in the slop starboard • As the pressure in the line builds up, open the
tank valves of the COW machines
• The tank cleaning pump to the tank cleaning line • Simultaneously, start the No. 2 Ws‟ Deep well
should be blanked off using a spool piece pumps and open their discharge valves to strip the
tank washings and pump directly ashore
• Blank the line leading to tank cleaning heater as
well • Similarly, cycles of COW can be run into
remaining tanks. It may be required to reduce the
• Set the tank cleaning machines of 2 W‟s for a full speed of other pumps while COW is in progress
• In a CLOSED CYCLE WASH, the discharge of if not then on a running line, close the COW machine
the pump is lined up to return the cargo into slop inlet valve and then open it slowly. It can also be
starboard tank turned manually using the portable lever provided.
• As the COW cycle is finished, the discharge valve For crude oil washing and tank cleaning the same
of the slop starboard pump to be closed first and machines and the same line are used. On crude oil
the 2W‟s cargo tanks to be stripped fully ashore tankers it is named as COW line, and on product
tankers it is named as Tank Cleaning Line.
• The COW main line to be drained into slop
starboard tank “During the discharging operation, before crude oil
washing, slop tank should be emptied and recharged
• After stripping 2W‟s the valves for COW with fresh crude from other tanks using bottom lines.”
machines for these tanks should be closed
Advantages of COW operation
Often during tank cleaning or crude oil washing,
machines are found to be working, but they do not • Prevention of potential marine pollution
rotate through the full cycle.
• Time and cost reduction during the dry-docking of
Always ensure all machines are rotating satisfactorily, the ship
• Reduction in the quantity of residue after the • Additional cost incurred by the shipping company
cargo discharge as maintenance of the washing machines will be
added to ship's operating cost
• Reduction in the emulsions generated by the
water-oil mixture MARPOL stipulates the number of tanks for which
COW is to be implemented, however, some terminals
• Reduction in the damage to the structure of the may have their own rules and regulations related to
tank COW, and the number of tanks that can be washed
may be restricted depending on the rules and
Disadvantages of COW regulations of the specific terminal.
• Increase in the discharging time of the unloading a. COW of about one-fourth of the total number of
operation tanks is to be performed considering effective
sludge control
• Increase in the ship‟s staff workload at the port
b. However, the COW of the same tank two times
• Increased risk of sea pollution if the operation is within four months for the same purpose is not
not performed professionally necessary

Tank Cleaning
While it is the responsibility of the master of the
vessel or the officer in charge to carry out the tank
cleaning procedures safely and in accordance with
company‟s safety procedure manual and other safety
guidelines available, it is the duty of every person on
board to ensure personal and crew members safety.
Present day tankers require tank cleaning for several

purposes, namely:
• Change of grades of cargo, e.g. to carry jet oil after

gasoline
• Man entry for repairs or inspection
• Prior dry docking

Tank Cleaning Operation
Usually, washing water is filled in the tanks with the tank by gravity or by using a pump.
following methods:
The amount of water to be supplied plays an
1. Supplying water from the sea by gravity: important role in efficient tank cleaning operation.
For this method, the sea chest valve is opened and
seawater of the required volume is directed to the The quantity of water to be filled can be decided based
designated tank by gravity. It is then shifted to the on the quantity of oil recovered after crude oil washing
slop tank using the tank cleaning pumps. and the quantity that can be recovered in the slop
tanks.
2. Filling water from the sea by the pump
The sea chest valve is opened and the sea water is If the filling amount of water is too small, the following
directly supplied in the slop tank using a pump. problems may arise:
3. Method of filling water by gravity from the ballast • Contamination of washing water leading to a
tank reduction in tank cleaning efficiency
The cargo line and ballast line are interconnected
and isolated using a spool piece and a valve. The • Air in the pump suction line involved in the
water from the ballast tank is supplied to the cargo operation

• Reduction in the efficiency of gravity shift of the cargo line or using the cargo sea chest
fluid, wherever applied
• After the water is filled in the slop tank, open the
If the filling quantity is too large, the following tank cleaning line machine valves and branch
problems may arise: valves for all tanks to drain any cargo remaining
into the tank
• Increase in the settling and discharge time
• After the lines have been drained, close all the
• Water may need to be discharged during the valves on the cargo and tank cleaning system
cleaning work, increasing the man-hours
• Line up the slop starboard pump to discharge the
The following procedure to be followed for three sea water into the tank cleaning main line
stages of tank cleaning- For this, let us assume 2 W‟s
cargo tanks have to be cleaned: • Line up the pumps of 2W‟s to pump the wash
water into slop starboard tank via manifold
Cold Seawater Wash crossovers
• Fill around 250 – 300 m3 of seawater into slop • Set the tank cleaning machines for a full cycle and
starboard tank using fire pump or via ballast to open the branch valves of 2W‟s
• Start the slop starboard pump with discharge valve • After the washing cycle is complete, stop the slop
closed starboard pump and close its discharge valve
• Raise the pressure to around 9 -10 bars. As the • Keep running 2W‟s pumps till they strip the
pressure builds up, open the discharge valve respective tanks dry into slop starboard
slowly to pressurize the tank cleaning the main
line • As the tanks are dry, stop the pumps and close
their discharge valve
• When the line pressure reaches up to 8 – 9 bars,
open individual tank cleaning machine valves • The same procedure can be followed for the
remaining tanks
• The machines will run for a full cycle of 60
minutes • During the tank washing, the lines can be washed
by re-circulating the cargo through the lines back
• Simultaneously, start the deep well pumps of into the tanks
2W‟s tanks to strip the tank washing and keep its
discharge valve open to discharge the same into • The ullage of slop tank should be monitored
slop starboard tanks continuously since wash water being stripped is
mixed with oil residue from tanks
cleaning line on deck for tank cleaning purpose, and
the other is used to drive the cargo eductor, which
strips the tank washing back into the slop tank.
Hot Water Wash
For hot water washing, it is important to ascertain the

maximum permissible temperature for tank coating as
washing tanks with higher temperatures can cause
extensive damage to expensive tank coatings.
The ship‟s officer will decide if heating of washing

water is required or not after considering the following
points:
Level Monitoring By Manual Sounding
On a closed loop system, a COP takes suction from a • Ship type and ship‟s age
slop tank, and the discharge is used to drive the wash
water into the tank cleaning main line, which • Time for gas-freeing work
bifurcates into two lines - one of them feeds the tank
circulated through tank cleaning heater before
• Number of tanks to be cleaned entering the cleaning line on the deck. Tank
cleaning heater has inlet and outlet temperature
• Description of work within tanks gauges for wash water.
• Type of tank coating 3. Once the water is heated up to the required

temperature, it can be used for washing the tanks
• Specific fuel consumption similar to the cold water washing.
The same wash water in the slop starboard tank can 4. After completion of hot water washing the steam
be heated in 2 ways: inlet and return line valves should be secured.
1. Firstly by heating the water into slop tank using The tank, which has been washed shall be allowed to
steam heating coils. Steam can be circulated drain wash water and stripped into slop tanks used for
inside the steam coils of slop starboard tank. washing.
2. Secondly by circulating the cargo through the Once the tanks are stripped dry, the tank cleaning and
tank cleaning heater. The tank cleaning line has machine valves for the same tank can be shut and the
an arrangement of through which it can be pump‟s discharge valves should be closed.

Fresh Water Rinsing • Open the blank on the tank cleaning main line to
join the main line to the cleaning pump
Fresh water rinsing is carried out to remove the
seawater containing chlorides and salts from the • Keep the branch valves of a pair of tanks open and
tanks. Chlorides and salts might alter cargo properties set their tank cleaning machines
of sensitive cargo such as diesel, jet fuel, motor spirits
etc. • Start the tank cleaning pump and pressurize the
discharge sides to 7 or 8 bars and then open the
discharge valve of the pump
“Always check your estimates of tank cleaning for
seawater, fresh water and oil so that the rinsed water is • As the water enters the tank cleaning machines,
easily collected in the residue tanks and ensure that at least two full cycles are run covering
accommodated within their capacity or in any other the whole tank area. This generally takes
tank designated to hold the residue.” approximately 5 minutes
Procedure for Fresh Water Rinsing
• Similarly, rinsing to be carried out for all remaining
tanks by switching over through the branch valves
• Line up the tank cleaning pump to take suction
one by one
from a fresh water tank or a designated water tank
• After rinsing is finished for all the tanks, stop the Real Life Incident
pump and keep all valves of the cargo and tank
cleaning machines open to allow them to drain “A vessel was bound to load gas oil in Ventspils,
into the tanks Latvia. For tank cleaning, it was estimated that for
200 m3 of water, oil collected during tank cleaning
• After 5 - 6 hours of draining, start stripping the would be 30 m3, and fresh water to be additional 50
tanks using individual pumps and discharging the m3. All this washing was planned to be
wash water into slop tank, which contains accommodated in a residual oil tank which had a
previous washings capacity of 320 m3 and contained 30m3 of oily water
from the previous voyage. As the tank cleaning was
• Line washing (removal of oil traces in the ODM completed, the oil collected was found to be 50 m3.
line) and valve flushing is done to remove the oil Thus oily water mixture totaled to 300 m3 and
traces sticking to the cargo pump, lines and valves exceeded the capacity of the residual tank to hold.
using the washing water Thus for merely 10m3 extra, one slop tank had to
contain the balance of residue which decreased the
loadable tanks from 14 to 13 and cargo carrying
capacity of the vessel by 1200 tones, thus altering the
maximum loadable cargo which the vessel had
committed earlier.”
Testing
CHAPTER 6
Pressure Testing of
Cargo & Ballast Line
Structural Strength
Testing of Cargo Tank
Foam Fire Fighting

System Testing
Brake Testing Of
Mooring Winch
Testing Cargo & Ballast Line A hydraulic pump is provided with a flexible hose
having an operating lever for compressing the
Various lines such as cargo, bunker, ballast, fire, and hydraulic fluid, a three-way valve connection, and a
foam lines onboard tankers are required to be pressure gauge.
pressure tested once in a year to the prescribed
pressures. Procedure for Pressure Testing
• Fill the required line with water
• Open the discharge side valves of the pump
• Open the cargo sea chest and take suction
• Start the pump and open the main deck cross over
valve
• Let the water reach the manifold
• Keep the manifold valve closed

Pressure Testing Pipeline Cargo Operations for Tanker I 166.
• Run the pump until it develops a steady pressure from the line
in the line. Normally it is about 12-13 bars for
centrifugal pumps
• When the pressure is steady close the pump

discharge valve and stops the pump
• Close all the valves on the suction side
• Open the pressure gauge on the manifold, which is

located outboard after the manifold valve
• Connect the three-way valve of the hydraulic pump

to the manifold
Hydraulic Pressure Pump
• As the valves are connected firmly, pressurize the • Slowly open the manifold valve
hydraulic pump above the line pressure using the
compression lever to avoid any backflow of water • The line and the pressure gauge of the pump will
now show a common pressure
• The compression of the lever will be used to • Disconnect the pump assembly from the manifold.
increase the pressure in the line Slowly open the hydraulic pipe connection to
ensure there is no pressure
• Slowly raise the pressure of the system to the test
levels and hold it there for some time • Fix back the pressure gauge firmly
• As the pressure is maintained steadily in the line,

take a good round throughout the line to inspect
flange, joints, expansion joints, and valves for any
leaks or structural failure
• If result is satisfactory, close the three-way valve on

the pump and depressurize the hydraulic fluid by
opening the relief valve slowly
• Open the tank valves of any tank and release the

line pressure by opening the drop valves on the
line
Checking Pipeline for Leakages During Pressure Testing
Tank Structure Testing
The strength of the cargo hold/tank boundaries are

tested by the ship's staff under the supervision of the
master. The testing is done either by using the cargo
itself or by the ballast water.
Strength Testing Using Cargo Oil
To test the relevant boundary strength of the tank, the

ship may be loaded in a checkerboard pattern as
shown in the figure.
This is done to provide a full load to the internal Tank Structure Testing
bulkheads of the cargo tank. The ship's crew must

create the required pressure testing condition as per The head of pressure intended for loading of the tank
the tank testing procedure stated in the SMS of the should also be checked for stability condition by the
vessel. master.

After successfully testing the strength of the cargo tank, The surveyor can accept the strength test performed by
the results must be entered with date, time and ship's crew under following conditions:
location in the ship's logbook.
• The complete tank testing procedure should
Strength Testing Using Ballast Water contain the data specifying fill heights, tanks being
filled, and boundaries being tested. The procedure
This method is used depending upon the operation of has been reviewed by the administration or
the ship and its stability. regulatory authority
Use of ballast water is acceptable to carry out • The final tank testing report does not contain any
combined strength and tightness testing, provided all record of leakage, distortion or substantial
the requirements stated in the SMS or cargo tank corrosion that would affect the structural integrity
testing procedure of the ship are satisfied. of the tank
After filling the ballast water, the boundaries and • The tank testing has been satisfactorily carried out
associated welds between the tank under test and the within the renewal survey window
adjacent cargo oil tanks are to be thoroughly inspected
to ensure there is no indication of water leakage. • The tank testing results are recorded in designated
paperwork and also in the ship‟s logbook
• The internal and external condition of the tank • Foam solution
boundaries and associated structure are found
satisfactory by the surveyor at the time of the • Foam pump
overall and close-up survey
• Fire pumps
Fixed Foam Fire Fighting System Test
The fixed foam fire fighting system is the most
common type of system used onboard oil tankers for
the protection of deck area of the cargo oil tanks.
The Fixed foam system comprises of the following

components:
• Foam supply line
• Foam monitoring system
• Foam isolation valves

The testing of the fixed foam fire fighting system is • Check for any leakages in the line
done by testing its components one by one.
• Check for leakage in foam monitor valve
The foam line needs to be pressure tested annually to
the maximum working pressure. The details of the • If the leakage is detected from foam monitor valve,
pressure test are given in the SMS manuals of the ship check if it is properly shut. If the valve is still
for any special testing requirements. leaking, overhaul the same
Testing procedure for the fire line “Only the approved type of foam stock solution
which is compatible with the cargo should be
• Close all the valves on the fire and foam line provided. For other cargo ineffective or
incompatible with the foam, additional fire-fighting
• Open the foam monitor on the forward-most part arrangement should be provided to the satisfaction
of the ship of competent authorities.”
• Start the fire pump at the maximum rated pressure

Testing foam isolation valves
• Close the foam-monitor that was kept open at the
fore part • Open foam monitor at the fore part of the ship
• Close the foam isolation valve one by one and • Ensure the level of foam concentrate is never
check if the water from the foam monitor stops below the mark
completely
• The physical appearance of the foam concentrate
Testing Foam pump
• For the vessels fitted with the inert gas system,
The foam pump is usually tested during fire drill sufficient foam concentrate should be stored
involving fire on deck. The foam pump is run on onboard for running the system for 20 minutes at a
recirculation and the pump performance is measured maximum flow rate
for its rated capacity.
• Where there is no inert gas system fitted, sufficient
Testing Foam concentrate foam concentrate should be stored onboard for
running the system for 30 minutes at a maximum
The foam is generated using foam concentrate stored flow rate
in the foam tank. Following things are to be checked:
• Analysis of the sample to be performed at regular
• The quantity of the foam concentrates present in intervals of time
the tank
Testing Fire pump Brake Testing of Mooring Winches
Fire pump is an important part of the foam system, Mooring winches and windlasses on ships are required
and it is tested during the fire drill by checking the to be tested for brake holding capacity, every year,
rated pressure of the pump during dry dock, or whenever the brake liners have
been replaced. The brake holding capacity test is done
to determine if the winch brakes is rendering the
required force to hold the ropes or wires tightly.
Fire Pump Testing During Drill Brake Testing of Mooring Winch

• The equipment used for this process are a “It is of utmost importance to ensure that the
hydraulic jack of retracting – extending type, 4 set fixture is exactly perpendicular to the hydraulic jack
of nut bolts, and a fixture extending approximately and also parallel to the deck plating and hole in the
10 cm. winch cover plate.”
• The winch cover plate is provided with a small

hole
• The fixture piece (balled bracket) with the help of

nut bolts is attached to the winch body at the hole
• The hydraulic jack and ram assembly is placed

vertically below the fixture plate facing face to face
horizontally
• The hydraulic jack applies force on the fixture

which in turn applies the torque on the winch
cover plate and tries to rotate it against the action
of the winch brakes Break Test Arrangement
The brake holding capacity of the winch is determined Observe the winch for any movement. If no movement
with regards to the hydraulic pressure. The winch is observed, it implies that the winch brake has
brake is then fully applied. The hydraulic jack is countered the calculated force rendered by the ram on
manually pressurized up to the calculated pressure the fixture. Thus, the brake is holding efficiently as per
using the lever. Upon applying the required pressure, its marked holding capacity.
hold it for some time, say approximately 5 – 6
minutes. Slowly depressurise the ram and jack assembly. As the
pressure reduces to zero, open the nut bolts of the
Real Life Incident fixture, remove the fixture and open the brakes of the
winch to normal position.
“There have been numerous incidents in the
past when the symmetry between fixtures,
jack and deck plating was not as required and
due to the enormous force applied by the jack
the fixture broke loose from the cover plate
and went flying, causing severe head and face
injuries to the crew members.”
Emergency Inerting
CHAPTER 7
Emergency Inerting
Emergency Inerting • Remove the cover plate of the hatch cover and
connect flexible hose on the end
Emergency inerting method is used when the main
intering method fails. The ballast tanks are provided • Close all the inert gas branch valves and open the
with a hatch type of arrangement, which has a flange end cover provided in the inert gas main
removable cover plate, to connect flexible hoses is
case of an emergency. • Connect another end of the flexible hose to the
inert gas main line
Similar size flanges are provided on the inert gas
main line to connect flexible hoses to the inert gas • The hose should be grounded prior use
line. Another arrangement consists of a spool piece
between inert gas main and ballast line, which can be • Start the inert gas plant and select the delivery to
turned to connect both the lines. the deck and open the deck main isolating valve
Inerting via Flexible Hose • Purge the line for hydrocarbon via the vent riser
• Check the condition and the electrical continuity • As the hydrocarbons in line are removed the gas
of the hose before using it can now be put into ballast tanks

• Commence purging of ballast tanks via the ballast • Start the inert gas plant and commence inerting the
tank vents required ballast tank
• Monitor the tank atmosphere until oxygen (O2) • Monitor the oxygen content
comes below 8%
• Monitor the tank atmosphere until the oxygen
Inerting through Ballast line to IG main content reaches 8% and the tank pressure is within
safe structural limits
• Close all the IG branch valves to tanks to isolate
tanks from the IG main line
• Open the deck main IG isolation valve
• Turn the spool piece between the ballast lines and

join it with inert gas main line
• Set up the ballast line to deliver inert gas to the

required tanks by opening valves on the line,
along with the tank valves Inert Gas Alarm Panel
Conclusion
The Ultimate Guide to Cargo Operations for Tankers explains all the important operations that are
required for safe cargo operation of tanker ships, considering necessary safety features and regulations.
This guide is a useful resource for maritime professionals who are pursuing a career on tanker ships and
also for those who are looking forward to have one. The insights, tricks of the trade, real life incidences,
and other practical tips featured in the eBook have been provided by seagoing deck officers having
several years of experience working on oil and product tankers.
If you have any doubt regarding the eBook or any specific topic, please feel free to contact us at
info@marineinsight.com
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The Ultimate Guide to

Cargo Operations for Tankers

1 Pre- Arrival Preparation 1-30

2 Cargo Operation 31-94

3 Ballast/ De- Ballast Operation 95-106

4 Cargo Tank Atmosphere 107-134

5 Cargo Hold Cleaning 135-162

7 Emergency Inserting 187-192

E.g. Oil tanker ships are required to display a red flag

Cargo Control Room

Following preparation needs to be done related to the

• Inert gas and crude oil washing systems must be

• Deck seal and PV Breaker must have liquid levels

• All the pressure/vacuum valves‟ lever should move

• If the cargo oil pumps are steam driven, then the

Real Life Incident

“A tanker arrived at Port of Avonmouth, UK for

7. l Marine Insight Cargo Operations for Tanker I 8.

Most of the companies have an SMS requirement to

• Crude Oil Washing Checklist

9. l Marine Insight Cargo Operations for Tanker I 10.

The complete cargo oil discharge/loading plan is

Ship and shore parties will also sign an agreement for

Meeting with Shore Representative

Ullage measurement and Cargo Quantity

For cargo operation, various parameters such as

Chief officer must ensure one watch officer attend

Following points are reviewed before the ship/shore

• Means of safe access have to be provided between

• These wires are rigged on the opposite side to

• Most of the terminals require eyes of the towing

Real Life Incident

“A tanker was berthed at a private jetty in Kwinana,

As a result, vessel shifted 5 meters forward thereby

• To assist the shore firefighting team in an incident

“Certain crude oils known as sour crudes contain

High Level & Overfill Alarm on Bridge No Smoking on Deck

• If a vapor return line is connected, its operating

• Portable VHF / UHF must be intrinsically safe

• Through ship to ship transfer

Oil tankers, nowadays, also load directly from the oil

It has 3 main lines leading from manifold to deck and

The cargo tanks are grouped by three color-coded

• Inert gas deck main isolation valve to be closed

• The manifold watch person must physically

• In cargo control room, the ullage display for 4W‟s

• The flowing of cargo into other lines and the filling

• As the loading is in progress, the de-ballasting

43. l Marine Insight Cargo Operations for Tanker I 44.

45. l Marine Insight Cargo Operations for Tanker I 46.

• During loading operations, watch oil loading

• Cargo leakage, however small, shall be paid

• Ballasting or de-ballasting operation to be carried

• De-ballasting is usually done just before the cargo

• The duty deck officer should keep a check on the

• Before commencement of topping off operation,

Installing Portable FRAMO pump

• Cargo lines can become over pressurized and thus

• Post completion of cargo loading operation, the

These instructions are critical with regards to the

The above-mentioned plans imply that bulk discharge,

• Once the drop lines are closed, the cargo starts