Oil producer Saudi Aramco has selected Chelsea Technologies Group, to provide benchmark testing for compliance with ballast water standards. This follows Saudi Aramco’s announcement that all ships calling at its ports will be required to provide ballast water samples, in order to demonstrate compliance with the IMO BWM Convention.
CTG’s FastBallast portable ballast water analyzer will be deployed as a benchmark testing device to conduct spot checks on indicative sampling undertaken by third-party sampling companies.
Together with Global Strategic Alliance Saudi Arabia (GSA), its agent for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, CTG has also provided consultancy and guidance to Saudi Aramco’s in-house experts on the testing and sampling standards and processes that should be put in place to ensure compliance with IMO standards.
In addition, GSA is working closely with the Saudi Arabia authorities to utilize FastBallast as the national benchmark for indicative ballast water sampling.
Saudi Aramco ports and terminals are considered the highest receiver of ballast water from ships, with over 180 million tons of ballast water discharged during cargo operations every year.
Saudi Arabia ratified IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention during April 2017, activating the adoption of a national ballast water management strategy, which includes indicative sampling of ballast water.
Dr Brian Phillips, Managing Director of Chelsea Technologies, commented: “Together with GSA, our sole agent in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, we look forward to working together with Saudi Aramco to ensure that all third-party ballast water sampling meets the high standards of compliance now required of all vessels calling at Saudi Aramco ports and terminals from international waters. We are proud of the role that FastBallast will play in creating the national benchmark for ballast water sampling and, in doing so, helping to protect Saudi Arabia’s marine environment.”
