"I would also like to welcome two new members to OCIMF – HF Sinclair Corporation, based in the US, and Raízen SA in Brazil. I look forward to working with them and I wish them, and you all, a happy and healthy February."
Director's Log
Last year, working in a new normal, we delivered on our 2022 organisational goals and were able to embed the refreshed strategy into our work. The Secretariat built multiyear plans for managing committee activities and we took significant steps to introduce SIRE 2.0 through the VIP Project.
In 2023 we will continue this work by introducing a new governance cycle to focus on performance. This cycle will include a scheduled series of monthly verifications to assure our key processes are being effectively applied and provide evidence that organisational risks are well-managed. In OCIMF, with several rotational positions, it is necessary to have the infrastructure in place to ensure continuity. This includes making sure that the priority issues and organisational goals being worked are driven by the processes in place and are not altered by any changes in personnel.
We will assess the work we are performing against actions planned, search for and identify error traps within our processes and strengthen our systems so that if we fail, we fail safely. From an organisational perspective, we will be using the governance cycle to identify new or emerging threats which could impact our mission or scope of operation.
The results will be reviewed by the OCIMF Leadership Team during quarterly management review meetings and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.
Some of the focus areas will be assurance and governance within OCIMF Programmes, effective application of the OCIMF ways of working, financial controls and budget performance, office health and safety, and IT security and data integrity. I look forward to sharing our learnings throughout 2023.
I would also like to welcome two new members to OCIMF – HF Sinclair Corporation, based in the US, and Raízen SA in Brazil. I look forward to working with them and I wish them, and you all, a happy and healthy February.
Karen Davis
Director OCIMF
Global maritime piracy reports
The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) launched its 2022 Annual Report on 12 January, highlighting that maritime piracy and armed robbery attacks were at the lowest recorded level since 1994.
In 2022, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 115 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships compared to 132 in 2021. Half occurred in Southeast Asian waters, particularly in the Singapore Straits, where incidents continue to rise. The incidents included 107 vessels boarded, two vessels hijacked, five attempted attacks and one vessel fired upon. In many cases vessels were either anchored or steaming when boarded, with nearly all the incidents occurring during the hours of darkness.
The low number of attacks against seafarers is an encouraging sign but the threat remains, and all mitigations should be used to keep seafarers and vessels safe.
The full report can be downloaded here.
Piracy and armed robbery in Asia
ReCAAP ISC launched its 2022 Annual Report at a Nautical Forum meeting in Singapore on 17 January.
Opening the event, Mr Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Executive Director of the ReCAAP ISC, expressed the need for a collaborative and cooperative approach to deal with piracy and armed robbery against ships, which is a transboundary maritime crime that no single agency or nation can deal with alone.
The Singapore Straits remains an area of concern, recording 55 cases in 2022 compared to 49 cases in 2021. A total of 84 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships occurred in Asia (80 actual and four attempted incidents) — a 2% increase compared to 2021. Of the total incidents, 83 were armed robbery and one was a piracy incident involving a fishing boat in the South China Sea.
The full report can be found here.
IOGP and OCIMF strengthen ties
Building on the longstanding relationship between the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) and OCIMF, the two organisations have recently strengthened their association through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which establishes the basis for engagement between OCIMF and IOGP.
By working tog ether, the two organisations aim to increase the effectiveness of their work in matters of health, safety, security, and environment/sustainability (HSSE) for the global upstream and marine industry and drive good practices to support safer offshore marine operations.
Through this partnership, the two organisations will engage at relevant committee meetings, seek to further implement IOGP’s Life Saving Rules for the marine sector, and develop joint industry best practices to support the wellbeing and safety of marine personnel and operations.
For more details, please contact Saurabh Sachdeva, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Olav Skar, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Event to launch updated edition of ISGINTT
We are pleased to share that OCIMF will soon be launching the second edition of the International Safety Guide for Inland Navigation Tank-barges and Terminals (ISGINTT2).
The guide compiles contributions from various organisations, including the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR), the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), the European Barge Union (EBU), the European Skippers Organisation (ESO), FuelsEurope, the Federation of European Tank Storage (FETSA), the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the Inland Waterways Transport Platform (IWT Platform) and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP).
ISGINTT2 gathers good practices as recommended by the participating industry associations. OCIMF, CCNR and the participating industry organisations view ISGINTT as an innovative and valuable tool for improving safety in inland navigation. ISGINTT2 will be available to download free of charge on the OCIMF website from 13 February 2023.
To mark this publication, OCIMF will host a reception at the Port of Antwerp on Monday 13 February 2023. At the event, the Secretariat will explain what is new in this revised version as well as giving updates on the revised versions of the EU Barge Inspection Report Programme (BIRE), particularly the Barge Inspection Questionnaire (BIQ) and Barge Particulars Questionnaire (BPQ). This will be followed by a drinks reception at 16:30.
The event will be held on Monday 13 February, 13:30 CET, at the Havenhuis Antwerpen (The Port Authority Building).
All our EU based members are invited to attend and register using the button below.
Click here to register for the launch event
European Sustainable Shipping Forum
OCIMF attended the 15th plenary meeting of the EU’s European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF) in Brussels on 18 January.
The aim of these meetings is to review the progress of sub-groups reporting to the ESSF and to provide strategic guidance on environmental regulations for shipping. Publications and Advocacy Director Saurabh Sachdeva attended on behalf of OCIMF, which is a member of the ESSF. Saurabh also attended a sub-group meeting on Sustainable Alternative Power for Shipping.
Topics covered at the plenary include:
- Ship energy efficiency regulations.
- EU emissions trading scheme proposal.
- Update on the EU climate regulation ‘Fit for 55’ package.
- A range of presentations on fuels and the environment.
The plenary reviewed its 2023 priorities across sub-groups and key workstreams, which include promoting solutions for alternative power arrangements, management of waste from ships, supporting implementation of the Energy Efficiency Design Index, and reviewing trends and statistics from the EU data collection system. There was a detailed technical review of the IMO carbon intensity measures, where some industry representatives shared their concerns about the calculation methodology. There was also discussion of a range of EU projects on ‘zero emissions vessels’ and a report on recent studies conducted by the European Maritime Safety Agency on alternative fuels and sources of power (cold ironing) for ships.
Members can access presentations from the plenary in the members' area of the OCIMF website here.
For queries, please contact Saurabh Sachdeva, Publications and Advocacy Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Launch of the Harmonised Vessel Particulars Questionnaire, sixth edition
OCIMF launched the sixth edition of the Harmonised Vessel Particulars Questionnaire (HVPQ6) in January. The extensive work done by OCIMF, in close cooperation with CDI, on the review of the questionnaire was completed early last year and a six-month transition period ended on 9 January this year.
Operators are now successfully using and publishing particulars for vessels in their fleets using the new document. This successful transition has been supported by a robust management of change process that included:
- The provision of a mapping document which assists operators to ensure accuracy of data transferred between HVPQ5 and HVPQ6.
- The provision of an excel version of the HVPQ6.
- The provision of a pdf version of the HVPQ6 document.
- The provision of a six-month transition period between HVPQ5 and HVPQ6.
- The provision of an IT function to allow the automated transfer of data from HVPQ5 to HVPQ6.
- The provision of a dedicated IT functionality to allow operators to control the release the HVPQ6 documents.
OCIMF will continue to provide the support necessary to ensure that ship operators fully adopt the revised questionnaire and that the HVPQ6 document remains relevant to our members.
For queries regarding HVPQ6 contact Ajay Gour, Training and Accreditation Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Revised Officer Matrix launched
OCIMF and CDI have worked closely on the revisions to the joint CDI/SIRE (Cat-1) Officer Matrix. Now complete, these updates to the crew matrix will be implemented from Monday 24 April 2023.
This is a crucial piece of work bringing the ranks used in the crew matrix in synch with the terminology used in the STCW Convention. These updates will also introduce further refinements, allowing the operators to identify the watchkeeping officer onboard. This is particularly relevant for those vessels where additional officers are present.
OCIMF will support operators and members to ensure that the transition to the revised terminology is as seamless as possible.
For queries contact Ajay Gour, Training and Accreditation Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Maritime Single Window 2024 Symposium
On 18 and 19 January, OCIMF attended a symposium at the IMO which brought together representatives from governments, port authorities, solution providers and industry bodies to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the Maritime Single Window (MSW) legislation.
The IMO's ongoing focus on enhanced digitalisation in shipping led it to adopt amendments to the Facilitation (FAL) Convention, which mandates electronic data exchange in ports for ship clearance from 1 January 2024. Port and other relevant authorities will now need to set up 'single window systems' to facilitate electronic exchange of information needed for arrival, port-stay and departure from berth.
The symposium presented a range of interesting views, including on the link between MSW and green shipping, the role of maritime digitalisation in improving supply chain resilience, and the importance of data quality in enhancing the port call process.
Details about the event can be found here.
For any questions on this subject, please contact Abhijit Aul, Risk and Regulatory Affairs Adviser, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Meeting reports
Executive Committee
The 90th Executive Committee meeting (ExCom 90) took place in Singapore on 30 November 2022.
ExCom reviewed the 2022 achievements against the goals for 2022. They also reviewed the 2023 organisational goals. The Managing Director discussed work to develop regional member engagement. The Programmes Director provided an update on the SIRE 2.0 project and the work to launch the new programme. ExCom discussed and approved the Managing Director’s proposed prudent budget for 2023 together with a five-year budget. Noting the projected increased capital expenditure in 2023, ExCom approved a modest reduction in the discount on the membership fees which has been in place for around 20 years.
ExCom reviewed the updated Risk Register. The Managing Director briefed that the Risk Register was a key part of a governance cycle where goals were prioritised around risk, with performance being monitored by the Secretariat Leadership Team and Finance Audit and Risk Committee. ExCom agreed that the OCIMF Greenhouse Gas position paper would be published on the OCIMF website. HF Sinclair Corporation and Raízen SA were approved as new OCIMF members. ExCom supported proposed changes to the membership criteria, the details of which will be developed by the Secretariat for approval by ExCom. ExCom supported proposed job descriptions for approved new positions starting in 2023: Governance and Performance Manager, Senior Information Technology (IT) Manager and the Environmental Adviser.
ExCom 91 will take place in Dubai in late May 2023.
Annual General Meeting
The 44th AGM of the Forum took place as a virtual meeting on 7 December 2022. The following officers and board members were elected by the membership to serve on the Executive Committee until the 45th AGM in December 2023:
- Chair: Nick Potter (Shell)
- Vice Chair: Andre Kostelnik (IMT)
- Vice Chair: Waddah Ghanem (ENOC)
- Heidi Aakre (Equinor)
- Abdulmohsen Al-Rabeeah (Saudi Aramco)
- Marc Bayer (Marathon Petroleum)
- Chris Bulera (ConocoPhillips)
- Jerome Cousin (TotalEnergies)
- Lambros Klaoudatos (BP)
- Kiyoshi Nogami (PIMA)
- Barbara Pickering (Chevron)
The 45th AGM will take place in December 2023 at a date and location to be decided by ExCom.
IMO news
IMO sub-committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 9) executive summary
The IMO sub-committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 9) took place at the IMO in London, from 23 to 27 January 2023, in hybrid-mode, with facilities for registered delegates dialling-in remotely.
The following is a summary of outcomes relevant to OCIMF and its members.
Underwater noise
- Finalisation of the draft Revised Guidelines for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life (MEPC.1/Circ.833): Awaiting approval by MEPC 80 in July 2023.
- Next steps: Further research and assessment; and ways to promote the work of the IMO with a view to increasing uptake and implementation of the Guidelines.
Matters related to the SOLAS Convention
- Revision to SOLAS guidelines for alternative design and arrangement for chapter II-1, parts C, D and E: Drafting of goals, functional requirements and expected performances for the regulations in progress.
- Asbestos ban on Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) from 1 January 2024 for new installation of materials containing asbestos, subject to agreement by MSC 107 in June 2023
- Proposed amendments to SOLAS regulation II-1/3-4 to apply requirements for emergency towing equipment for tankers to other types of ships: no immediate impact on existing regulation for tankers seen.
Other matters
- Finalisation of draft interpretation of SOLAS regulation II-1/3-8 for compliance verification of mooring arrangements and equipment.
For more information, contact Abhijit Aul, Risk and Regulatory Affairs Adviser, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..