"Last year we introduced the new OCIMF engagement format, the Regional Marine Forum, and held three around the globe. These forums are specifically designed to allow OCIMF to speak to the maritime industry in the regions we visit, and to give the non-OCIMF maritime industry to the opportunity to interact directly with OCIMF, whose guidance, recommendations and best practices have a big impact on operations"
Director's Log
In the last few weeks, there have been some great examples of the power that working together can create.
In July 2015, senior staff from OCIMF and INTERTANKO met to see where the two organisations could usefully cooperate to further the safety of our tanker sector. This was a mix of people who had never worked together before, but by the end of the day we had a unified team focused on making our tanker sector safer. We chose three projects and have been progressing them through 2016 and 2017. In February, the Steering Committees reported that all projects have progressed substantially and we plan to deliver the outputs of two of the projects this year.
In the Ship Design and Construction (SDC) sub-committee at the IMO in January (see January newsletter), mooring was discussed in depth. OCIMF put in a comments paper on the revised SOLAS regulations and guidelines for safe mooring operation for all ships, which, thanks to some hard work by Joe Megeed, Technical Adviser (Engineering), was co-sponsored by four Flag States and six international organisations, with very successful outcomes.
Finally, at the end of February I met with the China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) to discuss oil tanker and terminal matters of mutual interest. It was a very useful meeting and several joint projects were agreed on areas of mutual interest. During our meeting, they asked which international organisations we worked with and on what subjects. They were particularly pleased to hear the extensive network of relationships between the organisations, which ensures we produce well-considered guidance, recommendations and best practice, and that we speak powerfully with a single voice.
Last year we introduced the new OCIMF engagement format, the Regional Marine Forum, and held three around the globe. These forums are specifically designed to allow OCIMF to speak to the maritime industry in the regions we visit, and to give the non-OCIMF maritime industry to the opportunity to interact directly with OCIMF, whose guidance, recommendations and best practices have a big impact on operations. The 2018 programme of Regional Marine Forums will see us visit five locations, from Stamford, Connecticut, USA to Tokyo, Japan. Stamford is the first of the forums this year and is being held immediately following the Connecticut Maritime Association’s shipping event on the 15 March. The full programme is available on our website.
Stay safe,
Andrew Cassels
Director OCIMF
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OCIMF programmes - surveys
OCIMF is committed to improving and developing the SIRE and OVID programmes so that they not only meet but exceed the expectations of their participants.
Programme participants can help by completing one of the feedback surveys below by 9 March.
SIRE Programme Submitting and Recipient Members
OVID Programme Submitting and Recipient Members
SIRE Programme Technical Vessel Operators
OVID Programme Technical Vessel Operators
New inspectors course - USA
We are holding a new inspectors course for CAT 3 inspectors in Houston, Texas, USA on 10-12 April.
Member companies need to nominate applicants for this course by 20 March 2018, to allow time for the final administration to be completed. Spaces are still available. Members can nominate applicants to attend for training or observation.
ISGOTT revision begins
The first meeting of the ISGOTT Steering Group took place on 14 February.
It has been twelve years since the last edition was published and the cross-industry group discussed the areas that would need to be revised, updated the Terms of Reference and agreed on a schedule for the working groups. The next Steering Group meeting will be held in approximately six months, but individual working groups will start work in April and meet approximately every two months.
The Marine Terminal Focus Group met in Houston, Texas, USA on 21–22 February. Pictured from left to right: Dominic McKnight-Hardy (MIS), Andy Bickerdike (Chevron), Luke Fisher (BP), Bharat Bhatia (Shell), Tony Pollock (INEOS), Salvatore Bianca (ENI), Arun Rampal (Caltex), Eric Berger (Total), Derek Thompson (Phillips 66), Steve Carr (NuStar), Kenneth Romney (BP) and Rob Drysdale (OCIMF).
Marine Technical Sub-committee
The Marine Technical Sub-Committee (MTSC) held their 36th meeting at the Phillips 66 offices in London, UK from 6-8 February.
The MTSC was attended by nine OCIMF member companies and invited guests INTERTANKO and SIGTTO.
The MTSC reviewed comments from the publication review of the information paper Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Emissions from Cargo Systems on Oil Tankers. The MTSC is also providing technical support on the ISGOTT revisions, which start this year.
The MTSC will also begin a review and update of the OCIMF information paper Factors Influencing Accelerated Corrosion of Cargo Oil Tanks this year. The updated paper will include information on ballast water tanks, in anticipation of increased use of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS). INTERTANKO and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) will be helping with the review.
The MTSC also heard presentations from the following:
- Shell and Total, on their LNG as a fuel projects.
- The OCIMF CO2 Task Force, with an update on their work.
- The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), on bunkers, the 2020 global sulphur cap and industry outlook.
- The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), on awareness of the organisation and ongoing work.
- The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), on cyber security threats and mitigation.
- Transport Canada, on studies about underwater noise from ships and impacts in the marine environment.
OCIMF would like to thank Phillips 66 for their generosity and hospitality in hosting the MTSC.
The MTSC is currently made up of representatives from nine companies: Chevron, Phillips 66, Shell, ExxonMobil, Total, BP, Statoil, ENOC and Sonangol. If your company is interested in becoming a member of this sub-committee please contact OCIMF Technical Adviser (Engineering) Joe Megeed at
Please note, only OCIMF member companies are permitted to join.
The Marine Technical Sub-committee. From left to right: Ricardo Martinez (Chevron), Dragos Rauta (INTERTANKO), Fred Adolfsen (Statoil), Frederico Pereira (Sonangol), Nick Ryan (BP), MTSC Vice Chair Krystyna Tsochlas (Phillips 66), MTSC Chair David Wall (Chevron), Bobby Steele (SIGTTO), Laurent Bianchi (Total), Joe Megeed (OCIMF), Bob Cutrona (ExxonMobil). Not Pictured: Ahmer Saeed (Shell) and Shamim Adil Siddiqui (ENOC).
Middle East Regional Marine Forum - dates
The Middle East Regional Marine Forum will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 13–14 November.
More details will be announced on our website and in the monthly newsletter.
North America Regional Marine Forum update
The annual OCIMF North America Regional Marine Forum will be held in Stamford, Connecticut, USA on 15 March.
OCIMF is pleased to share the final agenda for the forum. Join us to hear the exciting news about OCIMF programmes, publications and the latest information from the Secretariat. We have presentations by representatives from OCIMF members, non-members, INTERTANKO and the Marshall Islands Flag Registry.
View the OCIMF Regional Marine Forum agenda.
Register soon to avoid disappointment as space is limited.
The OCIMF forum takes place just after the annual Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) shipping event and is open to all. OCIMF members can take advantage of the CMA member rate to sign up for the CMA event on the CMA website.
The Ship to Ship Focus Group (STSFG) met in Houston, Texas, USA from 27 February to 1 March. Pictured from left to right: Anwar Somali (Aramco), Ian Laws (TKMS), Rudi den Dulk (Gutteling), Jonathan Novak (IMT/SeaRiver); Frederic Uyttersprot (Total), Shunichi Ono (Yokohama), Cameron Kehm (Lightering), Will Doolittle (BP), Joe Coulliard (AET), Marco Anderlini (Chevron), Caleb Rallis (Phillips 66), Eric Osen (Chevron), Bharat Bhatia (Shell), Bob Gilchrist (SafeSTS), Mo Rattan (Fendercare), Angelo Merolla (Chevron), Don Johnson (ETA), J.L. Malafaia (Oil Tanking), Rob Drysdale (OCIMF), Hemant Berry (Caltex), Paul Lawrence (Dunlop), John Laidlaw (Dantec) and Will Hayes (Top Fenders).
Marine Domain Awareness for Trade - Gulf of Guinea
OCIMF and industry colleagues met with officials from the French and UK navies in Paris on 15 February to discuss progress with the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT–GoG).
The joint MDAT–GoG has been operating for sixteen months and continues to grow its service to the maritime community. France and UK officials provided updates on the rise of attacks against merchant vessels, their plans for the coming year and capacity building opportunities with the Inter Regional Coordination Centre in Yaoundé. The MDAT–GoG expect to launch a new website for vessel registration and reporting in the summer. OCIMF members are encouraged to ensure their vessels report to the MDAT–GoG when operating in the Gulf of Guinea region.
News from the IMO
The Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) held its fifth session on 5–9 February.
OCIMF Deputy Director and Chief Representative to the IMO Sam Megwa was joined by Rob Collier and Alexandra Ebbinghaus from Shell.
Global sulphur cap 2020
The implementation date remains 1 January 2020 and there will be no official transition period.
A proposal to ban ships from carrying non-compliant fuel oil for combustion, which had large support, will be drafted as an amendment to regulation 14.1.3 of MARPOL Annex VI. It will be put to the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72) for approval for entry into force around March 2020.
A working group is developing guidelines on the consistent implementation of the regulation. OCIMF will be sending a delegation to a meeting of this group on 9–13 July. We invite OCIMF members to join the delegation and to send us any materials on the safety implications of the regulation. Contact Sam Megwa for more details.
Black carbon emissions
A working group have drafted a reporting protocol for voluntary measurement studies to collect black carbon data. It was approved by the sub-committee and can be read on the IMO website.
A correspondence group will identify control measures to reduce the impact of black carbon emissions from international shipping and will submit a report to PPR 6.
Ballast water sampling and analysis guidance
A draft Guidance on System Design Limitations (SDL) of ballast water management systems and their monitoring will be submitted to MEPC 73 for approval and subsequent dissemination as a BWM.2 circular. It expands on guidance in the 2016 Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8).
Dedicated sampling point for fuel oil – MARPOL amendments
The sub-committee heard a proposal to amend MARPOL Annex VI to require ships of 400 gross tonnage and above to be fitted with one or more dedicated sampling points. The sampling points would be dedicated for taking representative samples of the fuel oil being used on board the ship.
OCIMF and other international organisations were invited to submit comment papers on the proposed amendments and on whether the guidance in MEPC.1/Circ. 864 is adequate at the intercessional meeting of the working group in July (see above).
Integrated Bilge Waste Treatment System (IBTS) guidelines
Proposals were made for changes and amendments to the IBTS Guidelines and associated documents such as the International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate and Oil Record Book. The proposals were aimed at achieving consistency in interpretation and application of the guidelines in relation to record keeping on Bilge Primary Tanks (BPT) for IBTS and non-IBTS ships.
OCIMF will participate in a correspondence group that will further explore the proposal and comments made at the meeting.
Application of MARPOL Annex I to Floating Production and Storage Units (FPSOs) and Floating Storage Units (FSUs)
The sub-committee approved the final draft of the revised Guidelines for the application of MARPOL Annex I requirements to FPSOs and FSUs. The guidelines clarify the application of stability instruments to FPSOs and FSUs. They will be submitted to MEPC 73 for consideration.