"This is a pivotal time in our industry. The maritime sector continues to evolve, facing new threats and incorporating a wider mix of energy sources, technologies and operating models."
Director's Log
OCIMF’s work must similarly evolve to reflect this broader landscape, but we must do so in a focused and disciplined way, ensuring our work remains aligned to our core purpose.
OCIMF is a member-driven organisation focused on protecting people, assets and the environment through better safety practice. To achieve this, we rely upon the knowledge of our members and, where needed, draw upon external research and emerging good practice. This combination of member expertise, evidence and industry insight will be important in helping us make clearer choices about where OCIMF should best place its effort and resources.
My priorities for the organisation include:
- Employing risk-based and data-driven decision-making to focus resources on activities that create maximum value for our members and for industry. This will also require clarity on priorities and identifying where our efforts can have the greatest safety impact.
- Improving how we develop and deliver our publications and programmes, including external partnerships and studies, so our safety influence reaches more stakeholders most effectively. This is not simply about producing more, but also about ensuring what we produce is timely, relevant, accessible and used by those who can benefit from it.
- Modernising our systems to generate better insights and make greater use of OCIMF’s data. OCIMF holds masses of valuable information, and we have a great opportunity to improve how we turn that information into insights that support better decisions and improved safety outcomes.
- Building human factors principles into everything we do, so they become a practical part of how we design, deliver and assess our work. We believe human factors is a critical element for enabling step-change improvement in maritime safety performance.
- Strengthening our training programmes by employing modern tools and techniques, supporting both inspection effectiveness and the wider dissemination of our publications content. Training will play a critical role in helping OCIMF’s guidance and programmes translate into consistent understanding and practical application across the industry.
I will share more detail on specific OCIMF activities in future messages. As this work develops, collaborative engagement with members, committees and industry stakeholders will be essential to ensuring that OCIMF remains focused and effective.
Don Davis
Managing Director OCIMF
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Inspector training in South and Central America
After a break of three years, OCIMF conducted face-to-face courses for new SIRE Cat-3 inspectors and a refresher course for existing inspectors in the South and Central America (SACA) region
The courses, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 10–12 and 13–14 August, were delivered by the Inspector Training and Accreditation Manager, Ajay Gour, and regional members of the Barges Expert Group (BEG). Attendees appreciated the in-person format, with support expressed for all future training to be provided in a similar setting.
The courses were fully interactive and the BEG members supplemented the training with delivery in Spanish/Portuguese when required. The member companies represented were YPF SA, Shell, Petrobras and Pan American Energy.
These courses will ensure that the strength and quality of the SIRE Cat-3 SACA inspector pool is maintained.
For any enquiries, contact Ajay Gour, Inspector Training and Accreditation Manager,
Joint INTERTANKO Latin American Panel and OCIMF Day
OCIMF is pleased to announce a joint panel with INTERTANKO to be held in Cartagena, Colombia, on Tuesday 13 October 2026.
This joint event brings together respective members and industry stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the maritime energy sector in Latin America and beyond. Through presentations and discussion, attendees will gain insights into regional developments, collaborative initiatives between INTERTANKO and OCIMF, and the latest revisions to key publications. The event also provides an excellent opportunity to share experiences, exchange ideas and strengthen collaboration in support of safer and more efficient maritime operations.
Timings:
08:30–09:00 Registration and refreshments
09:00–12:30 INTERTANKO Latin American Panel
12:30–14:00 Lunch
14:00–17:15 OCIMF Day
17:15–19:15 Networking reception
Venue:
Hyatt Regency Cartagena, 12-118 Carrera 1, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar 130000
OCIMF and Ipieca consolidate working relationship
OCIMF and Ipieca have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking the next step in a long-running and positive working relationship.
Signed on 27 August 2026 by OCIMF Managing Director Don Davis (pictured left) and Ipieca Chief Executive Officer Brian Sullivan (right), the MoU formalises cooperation between the two organisations on environmental issues at the IMO and in other areas.
OCIMF and Ipieca have worked together for many years on shared priorities, bringing industry knowledge and technical input to discussions that affect marine transportation and the wider energy sector. The agreement gives that cooperation a clearer framework, to enable earlier sharing of insights and to coordinate engagement where it makes sense to do so. The MoU also reflects the fact that OCIMF and Ipieca have overlapping membership, making collaboration especially valuable for members who are active across both organisations. By putting this relationship on a more formal footing, the MoU supports continued dialogue and practical cooperation on environmental matters of common interest.
Barges Expert Group
17th meeting: 26 August 2026
Lead: Nikhil Khandekar (Chevron)
Co-lead: José María Risso Patrón (YPF S.A.)
Secretary: Ton Mol (OCIMF)
The 17th Barges Expert Group (BEG) meeting was well attended by 19 members and several OCIMF secretariat representatives. The agenda included an introduction to the recently published information paper, Guidelines for usage of Track Guidance Assistants for Inland Navigation (TGAIN), updates from the barging regions, and reports on the work on the Global Barge Guide, the revision of Tanker Management and Self Assessment and the data project for the SIRE programme. The next meeting will be held in December.
For any queries, please contact Ton Mol, Barge Adviser,
IMO – looking ahead to autumn 2026
World Maritime Day 2026–27 – ‘From policy to practice: powering maritime excellence’
The IMO has been responsible for creating a framework for international maritime regulations. Well-drafted regulation is only as effective as its implementation and enforcement. The IMO’s World Maritime Day theme for 2026–27 recognises the need for enhancing regulatory effectiveness through national capacity building, international technical cooperation and knowledge sharing and the key role played by the Organisation in addressing this.
The IMO Headquarters in London, among other landmarks, will be lit up in blue on 24 September to mark this occasion.
Safe implementation of new fuels and technologies
The subcommittee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC), as the name suggests, deals primarily with the carriage of solid bulk, gas cargoes, containers and dangerous goods in packaged form. CCC also has an important mandate to develop a regulatory framework for the shipping industry to enable a safe transition to new fuels and technologies by developing relevant guidance.
CCC 12, scheduled from 14–18 September will be discussing technical aspects of fuels and technologies including, methanol, ethanol, ammonia and carbon capture and storage systems. An intersessional working group on alternative fuels taking place the week before will inform discussions on some of these topics to CCC 12.
GHG-related matters
Two intersessional working group meetings are planned: ISWG-GHG 22 (1–4 September) and ISWG-GHG 23 (23–27 November) to consider proposals to address perceived limitations of the proposed IMO Net Zero framework and the guidance supporting the mid-term measures. These discussions will inform proceedings at MEPC 85, which is currently scheduled from 30 November to 3 December.
Upcoming IMO meetings of interest
- 1–4 September: ISWG-GHG 22
- 7–11 September: 3rd ISWG on Alternative Fuels (ISWG-AF 3)
- 14–18 September: CCC 12
- 28 September–2 October: Joint IMO/ITU expert group on Maritime Radiocommunication Matters
For enquiries regarding IMO matters and meeting participation, contact Risk and Regulatory Affairs Adviser, Abhijit Aul,