"IMO recommences next week with the inaugural meeting of the Carriage of Cargoes and Containers sub-committee In Europe appointments to key committees, such as transport and environment, and to the European Commission are beginning to be announced."
Director’s Log
With August behind us preparation for the coming round of Committee work and external engagement to address issues of high interest to the membership begins anew.
Several sub-committees and working groups continued to meet and advance their work, the Marine Technical Subcommittee (MTSC) amongst them and a brief report of their recent meeting is included in this newsletter. If you are not familiar with the work of MTSC I would highlight that the function of MTSC is to work technical issues of importance to members irrespective of whether raised in GPC, PTC or OMC. The ability to address such a broad portfolio is dependent upon having representatives who understand the issues and who are well connected to the technical divisions of their member companies. MTSC is looking for a more member participation so if you are interested please consider contributing.
IMO recommences next week with the inaugural meeting of the Carriage of Cargoes and Containers sub-committee In Europe appointments to key committees, such as transport and environment, and to the European Commission are beginning to be announced. The marked shift in the political balance of the European Parliament coupled with a high rotation in those responsible for dossiers of interest to OCIMF may lead to some unexpected changes.
On the inspection front the training and accreditation courses recommence this week as Oliver Pointon travels to Singapore to carry out the next round of training for the Asia Pacific Region. We have also included the 2015 SIRE training dates with this newsletter. 2015 sees the introduction of ECDIS refresher training for SIRE inspectors which is appropriate as more and more ships serving the oil and gas sector are taking the step to implement all electronic charting. It is equally appropriate as it is becoming evident the complex transition from paper to electronic charts has not been a smooth one for all as several incidents and close calls due to navigational errors continue to emerge.
There are now several areas where threats to maritime security are a very real concern and a round up of events and information is also included this month. Speaking of information ease of access to OCIMF information is greatly improved following the August launch of a new SharePoint site and structure. If you have not already done so, do log-in and take a look. The new features make it easy to find and locate the exact information you are seeking and also to collaborate and work with colleagues in working groups and sub-committees.
As ever, I hope you enjoy the August Newsletter and if you would like to contribute articles, illustrations or provide feedback the links to do so easily are included below.
Captain David Cotterell
Do you have a story or a photo that you'd like to have included in the September edition of the newsletter? If so all you have to do is email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Marine Technical Subcommittee
The Marine Technical Subcommittee (MTSC) met at the Maersk Tankers office in Copenhagen in mid-August.
Members from Chevron, P66, Total, ExxonMobil, Maersk Tankers, BP, BG Group, and Shell all attended the two day meeting to review on-going work and discuss technical challenges in the industry. David Wall from Chevron took over leading as the new chairman. He is supported by vice chairman Krystyna Tsochlas from P66.
The use of low sulphur fuels, scrubbers, and alternative fuels continued to be a hot topic for members and generated extensive discussions. The group also worked on updated technical language for a VPQ question, reviewed on-going work developing best practice guidance for personal transfer by crane at the direction of GPC, and reviewed the revised terms of reference during a strategic planning session.
MTSC will meet again in the first quarter of 2015 in San Ramon, California where they will be hosted by Chevron.
Membership is not restricted to any particular area of expertise. Members interested in participating on the MTSC or with queries should contact the engineering technical advisor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Maritime Security round-up
Against a backdrop of continued attacks around the globe on mariners and vessels we are closely monitoring a number of emerging policies and events that may provide direction to better security in the maritime domain.
The EU Maritime Security Strategy
The European Union published a Maritime Security Strategy in June to provide a common framework for nations to complement their own policies and goals. The objectives are to:
- Identify and articulate the main strategic maritime interests of the EU.
- Identify and articulate the maritime threats, challenges and risks to the strategic maritime interests of the EU.
- Organise the response, i.e. provide the common policy objectives, common principles and areas of common support as the backbone of the joint strategic framework in order to create coherence for the diverse and wide array of sector specific maritime policies and strategies.
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CPGS)
CGCPS remains active as the key driver for the international community and industry to plan and coordinate the fight against Somali piracy. The recently launched Lessons Learned from Piracy website: http://www.lessonsfrompiracy.net/ may be of interest to members.
OCIMF remains firmly engaged with Working Group 3 which meets at the end of October as part of the next CGCPS Plenary.
Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE)
The leadership of EUNAVFOR has changed from Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant to Maj Gen Martin Smith whose team will chair the next SHADE meeting on 9 September. We are hopeful a clear representation of the current and future threat in the region will be offered.
International Fusion Centre Singapore
OCIMF attended the Shared Awareness Meeting hosted by the International Fusion Centre (IFC) in Singapore. This forum provides value in drawing together regional stakeholders from governments, law enforcement, industry and ReCAAP (www.recaap.org) to promote voluntary reporting, information sharing and experiences to better protect mariners operating in SE Asia. There is a clear indication that incidents (albeit small) involving oil syphoning in the region are increasing. There have been seven occasions recorded to date in 2014. These attacks have the following in common:
- Between 5 and 15 perpetrators, armed with weapons, overpowered the crew and took control the ship.
- All incidents happened between 2000LT and 0200LT.
- Incidents are observed to be premeditated.
- Ship’s equipment and crew’s possessions were taken.
- Communication equipment was destroyed in order to avoid detection.
To combat shared awareness the IFC continues to promote Voluntary Reporting as highlighted on Admiralty Charts Q6112 and Q6113.
OCIMF news
The Maritime Security area of Share Point (see article below) is open to members and being tailored to better identify core areas of interest.
The Terms of Reference for a new Maritime Security Sub Working Group under the GPC have been submitted for consideration.The group will encapsulate the work of the Counter Piracy Focus Group and provide a clear mechanism for the GPC to task maritime security related issues concerning the membership.
MTISC news
The Pilot Project to prove the MTISC is continuing at pace and demonstrating real effect in the Gulf of Guinea by helping to ensure the safety and security of mariners and ships.
The number of vessels reporting to the Centre on entering the Voluntary Reporting Area (Admiralty Chart Q6114) is steadily increasing with over 300 reports recorded in August.
The regional staff from both militaries and industry have just completed a staggered changeover and on 14 August, the Officer in Charge, Lt Cdr David Kpetigo completed his six month secondment and handed over to the new Operations Officer, Lt William KOFI SAGOE also from Ghana (see picture). The MTISC has been involved in a number of high profile events in the region by ensuring reported information is correctly shared with the authorities who can respond.
The Merchant Navy Liaison Officer is available for advice on operating in the region and can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
HMS Protector visit's MTISC
MTISC hosted a visit from Captain Rhett Hatcher and his staff from HMS Protector on Friday 08 August.
LT CDR David Kpetigo, Ghana Navy, gave a presentation on the development and organisation of MTISC and a tour of the operations room. An overview of how the centre administers the voluntary reporting area and interacts with the regional navies was provided by Merchant Navy Liaison Officer, Captain Mark McShane. Case studies of recent security incidents were used to illustrate how MTISC had been effective in providing a focal point for the mercantile community to report to while ensuring regional navies were provided with accurate and timely information on developing incidents.
The visit proved to be extremely useful in allowing Captain Hatcher and his staff gain a better understanding of the role MTISC fulfils. There were lively interactive discussions on how future Royal Navy deployments to the region could better communicate with MTISC and ideas for closer cooperation and information sharing were very encouraging.
SIRE courses 2015
Online registration has now been introduced for CAT1 courses. Sponsoring submitting members are able to send a link for candidates to register and approve all supporting documents prior to submittal to OCIMF.
Instructions on how to do this have been sent but if you require further copies of the instruction manual please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please ensure you register your candidates as soon as possible to enable us to determine if a course will take place. As course venues, visa applications, accommodation and travel arrangements of both attendees and instructors are to be taken into consideration, courses will be reviewed three months prior to the planned date. New Inspector Course registration will close three weeks prior to the planned date.
Our Guidelines specify all the necessary qualifications and experience required for candidates to become accredited ( pdf Current Guidelines (798 KB) ).
NOTE: Courses will only run if there are sufficient attendees. Costs associated with travel to and from the course, the inspector’s time, accommodation and meals are for their own account.
New Inspector Courses
26th - 30th January 2015 | Thailand ASCOPE Members Only |
2nd - 6th March 2015 | Singapore |
20th - 24th April 2015 | London |
15th - 19th June 2015 | US |
20th - 25th September 2015 | Singapore |
30th November - 4th December 2015 | London |
Refresher Courses
19th - 20th (am) January | Refresher | Singapore |
20th - 21st January | ECDIS | Singapore |
22nd - 23rd (am) January | ECDIS | Singapore |
23rd - 24th (am) March | Refresher | London |
24th (pm) - 25th March | ECDIS | London |
26th - 27th (am) March | ECDIS | London |
8th - 9th (am) June | Refresher | USA |
9th (pm) - 10th June | ECDIS | USA |
11th - 12th (am) June | ECDIS | USA |
14th - 15th (am) September | Refresher | Singapore |
15th (pm) - 16th September | ECDIS | Singapore |
17th - 18th (am) September | ECDIS | Singapore |
23rd - 24th (am) November | Refresher | London |
24th (pm) - 25th November | ECDIS | London |
26th - 27th (am) November | Refresher | London |
Please note that for those inspectors who require Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) Training it will be arranged immediately following the Refresher course unless the later date is requested. Inspectors who have already emailed a copy of their ECDIS Course certificate to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will not be required to attend.
For 2016 ECDIS Training will take place in the locations in the table above, but also in the Middle East and Japan.
There is no charge to attend SIRE Refresher/ECDIS courses but costs associated with travel to and from the course, the inspector’s time, accommodation and meals are for their own account.
To reserve a place on a Refresher Course please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
OCIMF Extranet
OCIMF are pleased to announce that our new OCIMF Extranet has now been rolled out to all users, and is fully operational following our recent migration (some sites are still in the process of being populated).
All members who sit on our committees and working groups should have received user names and passwords – if you have not received yours, please contact the secretary of your group, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please take a look around the site, and let us know what you think of it. This site has been set up to allow easier sharing of information with our committees and working groups, so we are open to any suggestions or thoughts that you may have.
Once you log in for the first time, you will find a getting started guide, a more advanced user guide, and additional instructions stored in the Help and FAQ’s section.