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Oil Transfer Operations News

09 Dec 2013

USCG Extend Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfer Comment Period

The US Coast Guard (USCG) inform it has extended the comment period related to proposed new measures to reduce the risks of oil spills in oil transfer operations from or to a tank vessel. The original deadline for feedback to be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov by 22, November 2013 has now been extended until 30, December 2013. The Coast Guard earlier announced that it is considering new measures to reduce the risks of oil spills in oil transfer operations from or to a tank vessel, and requests public input on measures that can be implemented to reduce these risks. The Coast Guard may use that input to inform future rulemaking efforts. (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. (2) Fax: 202–493–2251.

17 Apr 2013

Safe Operations, Proven Results

The recent editorial (MarineNews February edition) by Jeff Cowan entitled “The Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) Quandary” raised more than a few eyebrows here at the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and among AWO members who operate ATBs. Mr. Cowan has it backwards: far from being unsafe, ATBs in fact represent a significant advancement in safety in the coastal tugboat and barge industry and have a long history of safe operation. Mr. Cowan’s piece also contained several factual errors…

29 Jun 2010

Transas Eco-Driving Simulator for Rørvik Safety Center

Transas has developed and delivered a new simulator for monitoring fuel consumption and emissions. The customer, Rörvik Safety Center (Norway) has designed a training concept called EcoShip which is supposed to change the mindset of officers and open their eyes to that part of the problem that they can do something about. EcoShip is a range of courses under the auspices of the Rørvik Safety Center, whose innovative maritime environment simulator will be a useful tool and an important contribution to the maritime industry's ambitious environmental goal of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants. Fuel consumption and emissions is a very hot topic right now…

15 Jan 2004

Teekay Orders Newbuilding Aframax Tankers

Teekay Shipping Corporation (Teekay) announced that it has entered into two separate agreements to construct a total of six 105,000 deadweight tonne high specification Aframax tanker newbuildings. Four conventional Aframax tankers and two purpose-built lightering ships have been ordered from Hyundai Heavy Industries and Tsuneishi Corporation, respectively. The aggregate cost of these vessels is approximately US$260 million, including construction supervision costs and capitalized interest. Paul Wogan, President of Teekay Tanker Services, Teekay's conventional tanker business unit said, "We are pleased to add four high quality vessels from Hyundai Heavy Industries to our existing fleet renewal program.

14 Apr 2005

Foss Spill Costs $5M

Foss Maritime Co., which was responsible for a December 2003 oil spill that fouled shorelines in Snohomish and Kitsap counties, will pay nearly $577,000 in state penalties, Jay Manning, director of the Department of Ecology (Ecology), announced. "This spill was miniscule compared to the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and the cleanup effort was aggressive, but the effects were still serious," Manning said. A Foss barge spilled approximately 4,700 gallons of heavy fuel oil while being filled at the ChevronTexaco terminal at Point Wells in Snohomish County just after midnight on Dec. 30, 2003. Oil washed onto shore at the terminal and drifted across Puget Sound to coat beaches and the Doe-kag-wats marsh on the northern shore of Port Madison.

17 Aug 2005

Salvors Warn that STS Restrictions Could Lead to Another Prestige

Salvage operations involving the ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of cargo and bunkers from tankers and other vessels should be exempt from new controls proposed by Spain and Mexico and now under consideration by the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The International Salvage Union (ISU) believes that the proposed new rules could hamper salvors’ efforts to prevent a future Prestige-type spill catastrophe. At its recent meeting, ending July 22, the MEPC agreed to consider MARPOL amendments concerning oil transfer operations at sea. This process has been given “high priority” status and has a target date for completion by 2007.