oil and chemical tanker

familiarization
 crude tanker development
TANKER DEVELOPMENT: 1880 - 1990
- MINIMUM STRUCTURAL CHANGE (Elimination of
Expansion Trunk and Double – Bottom under the cargo
tank)
- GROWTH IN SHIP SIZE [1880 – World War II](1500
Tonnes - 12000 Tonnes)
- AVERAGE DEADWEIGHT increased rapidly to about
20 000 tons in 1953 and about 30 000 tons in 1959
From 1959 growth exploded due to - Hostilities in
the Middle East which interrupted traffic through the
Suez Canal, nationalization of Middle East oil
refineries, Intense competition among shipowners and
a simple economic advantage: The larger an oil tanker
is, the more cheaply it can move crude oil, and the
better it can help meet growing demands for oil
 Pre IG era - crude tanker spills
Although the tanker fleet increased around 12 percent annually around 1970, a shortage on
tonnage remained. In 1973 this resulted in an enormous increase in new building orders,
especially from oil majors who could ask enormous rates for their vessels.
Where the existing tanker fleet comprised some 150 million long tons, in a quarter of a year
a tonnage of 75 million was ordered, although new build prices doubled
Accidents due to increase in scale
In December 1969 three tankers exploded during tank washing.
The Dutch Shell tanker Marpessa sank off Dakar and became the largest merchant vessel
ever lost.
The other two, the British Shell tanker Mactra and the Norwegian Kong Haakon VII were
damaged heavily, but remained afloat.
Shell investigated the matter and came to the conclusion that water drops that impact steel
with high velocity generates static electricity that can cause explosions in combination with
cargo vapours. This only became apparent with the large sizes of the tanks of VLCC’s
The solution was found by filling the cargo tanks with inert gas (IG), reducing the oxygen
level such that the tank remains below the explosive limit.
The use of IG is seen as the biggest step in increasing tanker safety.
Pre IG era - crude tanker spills
 Pre IG era - crude tanker spills
MACTRA – BEFORE AND AFTER
EXPLOSION
 single hull
Mar 1989 - Exxon Valdez ran
aground and discharged 11 million
gallons of crude oil into Prince
William Sound, in Alaska. This led to
the United States Congress passing
the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA 90).
This unilateral action by the US
Government made it a requirement
that existing single hull oil tankers
operating in US waters were to be
phased out by an early date, after
which all oil tankers were to have a
double hull. In November 1990 the
USA suggested that the MARPOL
Convention should be amended to
make double hulls compulsory for
 Comparison to other spills
• When the Exxon Valdez supertanker hit a reef off the Alaskan coast, 11 of its
cargo tanks ruptured, dumping 11 million gallons of crude into Prince William
Sound. But the spill could have been much worse — the Valdez was carrying 53
million gallons.

• In terms of sheer volume, the Exxon Valdez spill ranks as the 36th worst oil spill
in history; however, the spill was far from small. Despite attempts to use
dispersing agents and oil skimming ships, oil washed onto 1,300 miles of Alaskan
coastline. Today, oil remains a few inches below the surface on many of Alaska’s
beaches.

• Responders found carcasses of more than 35,000 birds and 1,000 sea otters,
which was considered to be a fraction of the animal death toll because carcasses
typically sink to the seabed. It’s estimated 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300
harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales died along with billions of
salmon and herring eggs.
• The repaired Exxon Valdez was renamed the SeaRiver Mediterranean, and,
although it is banned from Alaskan waters, the tanker still carries oil around the
world.
 japanese proposal
A number of other IMO member states
suggested that alternative designs
offering equivalent protection against
accidental oil spills should be accepted.
In particular Japan proposed an
alternative, the mid-deck tanker. This
design has side ballast tanks providing
protection against collision but no
double bottom. The cargo tank space
has a structural deck running its full
length at about 0.25 to 0.5 the depth
from the bottom which ensures that
should the bottom be ruptured the
upward pressure exerted by the sea
prevents most of the oil from escaping
into the sea.
 marpol on single hull
In 1992 IMO adopted amendments to MARPOL which required tankers of 5000 tons
deadweight and above contracted for after July 1993, or which commenced construction after
January 1994, to be of double-hulled or middeck construction, or of other design offering
equivalent protection against oil pollution. Studies by IMO and the US National Academy of
Sciences confirm the effectiveness of the double hull in preventing oil spills caused by
grounding and collision where the inner hull is not breached. The mid-deck tanker has been
shown to have more favourable outflow performance in extreme accidents where the inner
hull is breached. The United States authorities consider grounding the most prevalent type of
accident in their waters and believe only the double hull type prevents spills from tanker
groundings in all but the most severe incidents. Thus, whilst MARPOL provides for the
acceptance of alternative tanker designs, the United States legislation does not, and at the
time of writing none of the alternative designs had been built. Present MARPOL requirements
are that existing single hull crude oil tankers of 20 000 tons or more deadweight and existing
single hull products carriers of 30 000 tons or more deadweight that:
• do not have segregated ballast tanks with protective location will not be able to operate after
June 2007; and
• do have segregated ballast tanks with protective location will not be able to operate after
July 2021.
 chemical tanker history
1900’s - Organic and inorganic chemicals -
synthesization – industrial scale - coal,
limestone, cellulose or molasses as raw
materials
1920’s - The first petrochemical plants in United
States – development in tandem with oil
refineries
1920’s – 1940’s - Chemical transportation by
bottles or drums on dry cargo ships
1940’s – 1950’s - Small tankers – special design
– carried acids – special alloy steel cargo tanks -
 chemical tanker history
Mid 1940’s - Bulk shipment of liquid chemicals - std oil product
tankers.
Mid 1940s - Cargo ships with deep tanks - carried vegetable oils as
part of their liner cargo service.
1954 – Marine Dow Chem - The first tanker - chemicals in bulk - a
twin-screw steam turbine ship - USA
Early chemical tankers - slightly modified product tankers - variation
was
coating of the cargo tanks - need to maintain product quality - to
minimise potential for discoloration - to facilitate tank cleaning
between cargoes led to tank surfaces being coated with an
impervious material.
chemical tanker history
 Inert Gas Must On Tankers
• Required Under Regulation 60 of SOLAS
• For All Petroleum Tankers more than 20,000 DWT –Keel laid after
1-9-84
• Exception for Existing Tankers (Keel Laid prior 84)

- i) Tank Washing Machine Capacity less than 60 Cubic

Meter/Hour &
- ii) Unreasonable & Impracticable due to design determined by
Administration
- iii) For Product Tankers between 20-40,000DWT tank washing
Machine Capacity less than 60 cubic meter/Hour
• Tankers fitted with IGS to keep COT inerted at all times
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 Inert Gas
Production
 Inert Gas System
• Flue Gas Uptake Valves
• Scrubber
• I.G. Fans (Blowers)
• Gas Regulating Valve
• Deck Water Seal
• Non Return Valve
• Deck Isolating Valve ( Manual)
• P/ V Breaker
• Instrumentation
• Tank Atmosphere Analyzers (Oxygen Analyzers) Fixed & Portable
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Inert Gas System Layout
 Inert Gas System Flow Sheet

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 Inert Gas Lay Out

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Inert Gas Layout System

From
Flue Gas Uptake

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TYPES OF INERT GAS SYSTEMS

• INERT GAS FROM BOILER EXHAUST UPTAKE

• INERT GAS FROM INERT GAS GENERATOR

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INERT GAS GENERATOR

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BOILER UPTAKE - IG SYSTEM

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Deck Distribution of Inert Gas System

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 Deck Water Seal Requirement

•Regulation 62 requires that Inert Gas system is

equipped with two Non return devices one of
which shall be water seal to prevent the return of
hydrocarbon to Gas safe spaces

•In addition Regulation 62 requires that

arrangement of Deck Water Seal Shall be such
that it will prevent back flow of hydrocarbon
vapours and ensure proper Functioning of Seal
Under Operating Conditions.

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Deck Water Seal Wet Type

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Deck seal

• Deck seal prevent flow

back from deck pipe line
to flame area of boilers or
scrubbers
• Water column works as
non returning valve
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 Principle of IG Scrubber

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IG Scrubber

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Inert Gas System Non Return Devices

• Reason for Non Return Devices

• N/R Consist of Deck Water Seal & Deck
Mechanical N/R Valve
• Deck Water Seal is a Principal Barrier
• Incase of water drop, there should be Low Water
Alarm but Seal Should not become Ineffective
• Heating Arrangement For Deck Water Seal
• Sight Glass & Inspection Opening Provided
• Function of Deck Mechanical N/R V/V
• Purpose of Separate Deck Isolating Valve

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Deck Water Seal Wet Type

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