Technical notes of interest to Marine Engineers

Handling fuel oil and Waste oil products

Authored by: ?

Brought to you by www.dieselduck.net, comments to webmaster@dieselduck.net

Before operation

The transfer operation has been planned in advance, and sufficient personnel are onboard to prevent or respond to any emergency. All personnel involved in the operation have been properly briefed. Briefing is to be logged.

Loading plan is completed and submitted to Commanding Officer, and discussed with all parties involved in operation. It should include current status of tanks, desired status and needed bunker, figures should be in volumes and / or soundings (ullages). Everyone must be familiar with the sequence of filing as well.

Establish maximum permissible rates of flow and pressure, and the need to reduce flow when topping up tanks.

Establish an effective communication system with parties involved, (VHF or UHF radios) including the following signals:

Standby to start operation

Start operation

Stop operation

Emergency stop of the operation

All flexible hose have been inspected and have current test certificate.

Ensure that hoses are supported and arrangements have been made to prevent damage to the hoses and reduce strain to the couplings.

All hose coupling have been properly secured.

Ensure an adequate supply of absorbent material is on hand.

Drip trays of a suitable size are placed under each connection not encompassed by a save all.

Fuel transfer valves not in use are closed

Fuel additive added to tanks being filled.

Valves for the first tank are open.

Before operation - Deck Department Responsibilities

The vessel is satisfactorily secured alongside

There is a safe access between ship and Dock (ship), and adequate lighting

All scupper plugs are in place, and in the fuel pumping and tank vent save all. Save all drain valves to sludge tank are open

Proper day and night signals are displayed

Fire lines installed at bow and stern.

Public announcement that vessel is carrying out fuelling operations. Specify that during fueling:

Smoking is prohibited on open decks.

All outside doors should be kept closed.

All hot work stopped.

"No Smoking" signs posted in strategic areas.

Appropriate fire extinguisher and fire hoses are located near the fueling station.

During operation

Should a leak occur, all operation must be stopped immediately. Any waste oil products must be contained, reported and action taken for clean up as stipulated in the S.O.P.E.P. (Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan)

A filling valve to one of the tanks shall be open at all times to prevent over pressurizing the system.

To allow for expansion and to prevent a spill, the tanks shall not be filled above 95% capacity.

Inform the wheelhouse of start time and log in Chief Engineer’s Log Book.

Fuel samples must be taken at the beginning, during and at the end of the bunkering operation by the engine room watchkeeper.

A watch shall be maintained on deck to check for overflow and leakage at the fueling station.

A bridge watch shall be maintained during bunkering

Mooring lines are to be tended to prevent unnecessary movement of the vessel.

When topping up tanks

1. The valve to the next tank to be filled should be opened gradually and the valve to the tank being topped up closed gradually until full.
2. When topping up the final tank the flow is to be reduced accordingly and stopped when there is ample volume remaining to drain the hose, and piping to be purged.

After operation

	Inform wheelhouse of stop time and log stop time in Chief Engineer’s Log Book.
	On completion of the transfer, all the hoses and piping shall be purged. All valves shall be closed and the hoses disconnected.
	Hoses and bunkering system connections to be capped as soon as they are disconnected.
	Any oil draining into the drip containers when disconnecting must be emptied into the waste oil tank and the containers cleaned.
	Final sounding of fuel oil tanks to be taken and recorded.

Entries are to be made in the Oil record book and the Chief Engineer Log Book. These entries are to indicate the product, start and finish times, quantity of product loaded, initial and final soundings and Name of Officer in charge of the operation.

Transfer of Waste oil products

Sound waste oil in sludge tanks to determine capacity (M3) of product to be transferred.

Determine if shore side container or contractor is licensed, approved and able to receive the intended waste product.

The transfer operation has been planned in advance, and sufficient personnel are onboard to prevent or respond to any emergency. All personnel involved in the operation have been properly briefed.

Ensure that an effective communication system in place between ship and shore (UHF or VHF radios).

Ensure vessel has been satisfactorily secured alongside. Mooring lines are to be properly tended.

Ensure safe access between the ship and the dock.

All flexible hose have been inspected and have current test certificate (Black hose stored out board of purifier).

Ensure that hoses are supported and arrangements have been made to prevent damage to the hoses and reduce strain to the couplings.

All hose coupling have been properly secured.

All scupper plugs are in place in the main pumping station save all.

Ensure an adequate supply of absorbent material is on hand.

Drip trays of a suitable size are placed under each connection not encompassed by a save all.

Ensure all sludge pump valves are open.

The wheelhouse shall be notified of the start times.

The wheelhouse shall be notified of the stop times.

On completion of the transfer, all the hoses and piping shall be purged. All valves shall be closed and the hoses disconnected. Hoses are to be properly stored with plugs fitted at each end.

Any waste oil product draining into the drip containers when disconnecting must be emptied into the waste oil tank and the containers cleaned.

Final sounding of waste oil and sludge tanks to be taken and recorded.

Entries are to be made in the Oil record book and the Chief Engineer Log Book. These entries are to indicate the product, start and finish times, quantity of product, which tank it came from and where it was delivered.

Should a leak occur, all operation must be stopped immediately. Any waste oil products must be contained, reported and action taken for clean up as stipulated in the S.O.P.E.P.(Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan)