BP Amoco Tightens Rules For Old Tankers

Global oil major BP Amoco has introduced new rules to restrict the chartering of older oil tankers a month after the Erika disaster that polluted 400 km of the France's coastline. BP Amoco is insisting that vessels of 100,000 deadweight tons (dwt) and above between 20 and 25 years old will have to conform to extra safety conditions. Ships between 20,000 and 100,000 dwt aged 25 to 30 will also have to provide the higher Condition Assessment Program (CAP 2) rating from an acceptable vessel classifier. CAP 2 requires 20-year-old tankers to attain standards that would have been expected when the ships were 10 years old. The company's moves were part of a policy to strengthen its tanker vetting procedures that started before the spill from Erika, which was 25 years old. BP Amoco is a major charterer of ships in the Mediterranean and North Sea and also operates a fleet of older owned and modern leased tankers.