Tag: liquefaction

Liberia Maritime Authority issued a Marine Advisory to provide guidance for safe transport of bauxite, including the accurate declaration on cargoes. It also presents the potential risks regarding the carriage of certain Group A bauxite in bulk due to its potential to undergo dynamic separation.

INTERCARGO issued a reminder on the wet season in Indonesia, which runs from October to April. Those trading in the area are advised to be especially cautious when accepting cargoes from Indonesia and the surrounding region during the wet season and especially at times of heavy rainfall.

The bulk carrier M/V Emerald Star that sank in the Philippine Sea last week, with the loss of 10 crew members, is believed to have been carrying a cargo of nickel ore at the time, although it is too early to say whether the cargo played any role in the ship’s sinking, the UK Club announced.

The Japan P&I Club informs that a bulk carrier laden with nickel ore cargo from Indonesia to China, sank off the Philippines. As evidenced by this latest tragedy, the great reduction in the quantity of nickel ore shipped from Indonesia by the regulations has not lessened the risk of liquefaction of the relevant cargo, the Club notes and urges operators to take more precautious measures.

During latest IMO's Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CC4), IMO raised awareness on the hazards of bauxite cargo and updated a previous circular, noting that some bauxite cargoes (specifically those with a larger proportion of smaller particles) present a risk caused by moisture and should be treated as Group A cargoes.

The West P&I Club informed that it has recently experienced a cargo liquefaction case, involving a full cargo of Ball Clay loaded in Lumut, Malaysia for discharge in Chittagong, Bangladesh, similar to another case experienced in 2013. In view of this, the Club urges operators to pay attention when loading a clay cargo.

The Association of Bulk Terminal Operators has called for a complete overhaul of the cargo sampling and liquefaction testing protocols for raw ores and less common cargoes, such as nickel ore, fine wet coal and bauxite, pointing out that the current methods for danger identification are inadequate, specially in ports where conditions are inclement.

The London P&I Club has released a joint publication, in cooperation with TMC Marine and Bureau Veritas, to provide operational guidance for vessels that carry cargoes which may liquefy. The Club notes that, although significant progress on the issue has been made so far, the liquefaction phenomenon continues to be as relevant today in 2017.

The RMI informs on procedures to be followed when loading cargoes that may be subject to liquefaction and new safety and cargo declaration information, including the need to potentially determine the flow moisture point (FMP), transportable moisture limit (TML), and actual moisture content (MC) of the cargo to be loaded.

Kostas G. Gkonis, Secretary General, Intercargo, says the 2016 topics and concerns continue in 2017, therefore, liquefaction remains a major problem for dry bulk shipping as well. Dr. Gkonis said that the Association is looking into future amendments to the IMSBC Code and plans to develop a new guide for masters on cargoes that may liquefy to increase awareness on that important topic.