Ship generated sludge are the residue from any oil separation process which is usually a mixture of water,
solid material and high viscosity oil. Sludge oil thus results from the fuel or lubricating oil separators, waste
lubricating oil from the main or auxiliary machinery, or waste oil from bilge water
separators, oil filtering equipment or drip trays, (MARPOL).
In essence, sludge is a contaminant that results from the handling, mixing, blending, and pumping of heavy fuel while stored at, and after it leaves, the refinery. Storage tanks, heavy fuel pipelines, and barging can all contribute to the build-up of sludge. Water contamination of a high asphaltene fuel oil can produce an emulsion during fuel handling which can contain more than 50% water. Shipboard transfer pumps can frequently provide the necessary energy to produce emulsified sludges during normal fuel transfers. These emulsified sludges can cause rapid fouling and shutdown of centrifugal purifiers, clogging of strainers and filters in the fuel oil system and rapid fouling if burned in the engine.
Sludge tank – A tank provided to receive oily residues coming from the oily water filtering or
separating equipment and from the purification of fuel and lubricating oils.
The sludge tank should be easy to empty and inspect. The tank height must not be less than
400mm. The tank floor should have a slope of minimum 15°.
Removable Bends, Spool Pieces And Flexible Hoses
Portable bends must only be connected when required for a particular operation. On completion of that operation they must be removed and the blanks properly fitted. In order to make them conspicuous, all portable bends, and spool pieces are to be conspicuously marked and labelled with intended purpose.
Gaskets of the correct size and material are to be available, and must be used when connecting the bends, spool pieces or flexible hoses.
Flexible hoses are to be pressure tested annually, marked with date/pressure and provided with test certificates as described within ISGOTT. The electrical continuity of flexible hoses is to be checked before each use should there be any doubt about condition deterioration since the last routine testing. (Otherwise every three months).
Should the hose being tested fail to meet the criteria outlined within ISGOTT, the hose must be removed from service and the office notified immediately.
As flexible hoses vary significantly in type and manufacturing methods, a retirement age should be defined for each hose type on board after consultation with the manufacturer. Upon reaching the retirement age, the hose should be removed from service, irrespective of meeting the inspection and testing criteria. The Fleet Superintendent must be notified in advance of approaching retirement dates of the flexible hoses so that replacements can be supplied.
When removable bends, spool pieces or flexible hoses are being used, particular care must be taken to ensure that they are all in respects suitable for the intended cargo.
Ship - shore Sludge discharge operation involved numerous hazards and careful consideration will need to be made for safe planning and execution.
We summarized here some basic check points for safe handling. These procedures are only indicative, not exhaustive in nature and one must always be guided by practices of good seamanship
Preparation of sludge discharge plan :
Has it been confirmed with the receiver that they will issue a certificate including quantity and type of sludge discharged?
Has receiver confirmed they will receive the entire nominated quantity from the ship?
sludge collecting ship at singapore
Has an onboard meeting of the personnel overseeing transfer been held and have they been familiarized with the sludge discharge plan?
Name of responsible engineer (2/A/E or 3/A/E):
Name of responsible engine rating (Olr or Wpr):
Are sludge discharge procedures and piping diagrams displayed at the discharge manifold?
Has the sludge/bilge pump emergency stop switch been checked for operation and working?
Preparation for sludge discharge ashore:
Are related valves and pipelines correctly marked for easy identification?
Have all deck scuppers been plugged?
Has it been confirmed that the pipeline to be used is in good condition?
Has it been confirmed that the sludge transfer line is properly isolated and no other oil transfer is going on during the sludge discharge operation?
Is the opposite side manifold blanked?
Have appropriate light and flag signals been displayed?
Is SOPEP and fire fighting equipment ready for immediate deployment?
Have pumping rate & means of communication (incl. emergency) been agreed with receiver?
While starting and during discharging:
Confirm no oil floating in water around the vessel?
Is the sludge discharge line properly set?
Confirm no leaks and the pump parameters normal?
Is the reception confirmed by the receiving facility?
Confirmation after completion :
Is the transfer pump stopped and line set back to normal?
Has all the gear been secured back in original place and area squared up/cleaned up?
Has the manifold line been blanked?
Has vessel received the sludge discharge certificate and checked contents for correctness?
Acceptance / rejection of fuel in a quality dispute
Accepting fuel oil for ship use needs some careful consideration since poor quality fuel can cause ships main engine fuel system operational problems, such as purifier or filter clogging, fuel pump scoring or failure, severe cylinder liner wear, fuel injector seizure, exhaust valve seat corrosion or blow-past and turbocharger turbine wheel is fouling. Above is just a shortlist of potential problems. Ships chief engineer should apply his best judgment before deciding to accept or reject bunker fuel oil......
Operational guideline during bunkering
Fuel oil bunkering is a critical operation onboard ships that require receiving oil safely into the fuel oil tanks, without causing an overflow of oil. With the cost of bunkers amounting to 50% of the total operating costs of ships, shipowners need to seek ways to monitor and control this vast expenditure continually. Typically, physical custody transfer of bunkers is made thousands of miles away from the contracting parties' offices, with neither buyer nor seller present during actual bunkering operations.
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Common bunker terms and related guideline
Ships bunkering is generally applied to the storage of petroleum products in designated tanks for ship's main engine propulsion and power generation at sea. Bunkering is a major voyage cost for ship owners to run their business. A prudent shipowner/operator needs a bunkering plan – allowing for the purchase of bunkers at the best price in quantities sufficient for a safe voyage, but also allowing for the maximum carriage of cargo. Refueling of ships is carried out at all major seaports.
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Ships bunkering guideline- planning, preparation, safety checks & confirmation
Bunkering checklists should be implemented to reduce the risk of negligence and other operational errors. They must be followed in consultation with the chief engineer, as he is normally the designated officer-in-charge of the bunkering operation. Before bunkering, usually, a junior engineering officer takes soundings of bunker tanks and calculates the volume of fuel oil available in every fuel oil tank on the ship. Then a bunker plan is prepared for the distribution of the fuel oil to be received.
Bunkering arrangement and safety factors onboard When disputes arise over quantity and quality transferred, investigations after delivery are usually inconclusive if the shipboard personnel of the receiving vessel is not correct and or fully informed and trained. Protests, legal fees, management time, loss of goodwill, stress all add on to costs with usually neither party concluding with certainty what transpired onboard......
Bunkering safe procedure and detail guideline for ships
Bunkering may take place offshore, at anchor or alongside. It may be pumped from a road tanker, bunker barge, or another tanker or ship. Whatever the provider, the procedures followed are similar. Bunkering should be considered a high-risk operation, where mistakes can result in pollution, high financial penalties, or even imprisonment......
How to keep bunkering record ?
The consequences of bunker shortage or off-specification bunkers can be very severe. A lower quality bunker supply can lead to ship engine failure, incur loss-time, and additional expenses for refueling. In many parts of the world, greedy bunker suppliers make tricks to supply less.
Both this situation not only increases the financial burden of a shipowner but also damages business reputation. Some critical considerations, therefore, need to be made for a safe bunkering operation.
Precautions prior transferring fuel oil into storage tanks
Fuel oils are loaded through deck fill connections that have sample connections provided to allow the fuel to be sampled as it is taken aboard. HFO is placed in storage tanks fitted with heating coils. In preparation for use, HFO is transferred to the fuel oil settling tanks via FO transfer pumps, which are equipped with a suction strainer. Piping is so arranged that the pumps can convey fuel between storage tanks and the deck connections for offloading. Settling tanks are used to sanction gross water and solids to settle on the bottom.
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Treatment of waste oil and oily bilge
All modern cargo ship types are now essentially equipped with incinerators to process waste oil, bilge, and sludge generated in ships' machinery spaces and also overboard discharge arrangements under 15 ppm. However, if such onboard disposal is improper or impossible especially when ship transiting through a special area, all waste items should be taken ashore for disposal at a shore receiving facility......
Procedure for oil tankers and how to maintain records
Tankers are specialized vessels that include crude oil, product, chemical, LNG, and other tanker types. Tankers spend considerable time in ballast given the typical one -way nature of the underlying trades. Tankers are selfdischarging and most are equipped with a series of pumps that allow for a fast turnaround in port......
Heating of fuel oil storage tank
Ships fuel oil bunker tanks and waste oil tanks must have some form of tank heating. Normally the heating is by way of steam produced by an oil-fired boiler and passed through coils inside the oil tank. Other ways to heat the fuel tanks are by using thermal oil. It also utilizes an oil fired boiler that heats the thermal oil, which is circulated through coils inside the tank by a pump. Temperature regulation and monitoring can be automatic and self-adjusting but are commonly effected by checking the tank temperature and manually adjusting the heating accordingly......
Fuel oil viscosity control
Fuel viscosity control is a method to control viscosity and temperature of Fuel Oil (FO) for an active fire in diesel engines of motor vessels and generators of oil-fired energy plants. Fuel oil's viscosity heavily depends on the temperature; the higher is the temperature, the lower is the viscosity......
Tanker vessel safety guideline - inert gas system
Vessels carrying cargos that produce hydrocarbon vapors require an inerting solution to eliminate the risk of explosions and fires in cargo tanks ( crude oil tankers, chemical tankers, product tankers, gas carrier, etc.). Inert Gas System is used to keep the oxygen content below 8%, a standard set by the International Maritime Organisation ( IMO )......
Tanker vessel safety guideline - gas freeing procedure
The safest way to gas free an oil tank which is fitted with an inert gas system is to use a fan and vent the tank. Before entry, an O2 meter must be used and the tank must also be checked with an explosimeter. These meters must also be used while in the tank. The sketch shows a diagrammatic view of an explosimeter.....
Precautions prior entering freezing zone - Check items in oil tankers operation
Ocean water freezes just like freshwater, but at lower temperatures. Freshwater freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but seawater freezes at about 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit, because of the salt in it. Due to the presence of many hostile conditions, any merchant ship, while entering a freezing sea area, significant challenges are being encountered concerning safety and reliability of navigation. Shipmaster should ensure that the following measures have been taken to prevent damage to Vessel, Machinery, Pipelines, and Equipment prior entry into areas with Freezing Conditions......
Tanker vessel safety guideline - how to prevent oil spillage
There exists an inherent risk of oil spillage while handling oil cargo on board an oil tanker. However, good prevention initiatives can go a long way in reducing the risk of oil pollution from ships. In the event of any oil spillage from the ship, it is necessary to ensure that effective preparedness measures are in place to ensure a timely and coordinated response to limit the adverse consequences of pollution incidents involving oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS). We have summarized below some fundamental guideline for safe handling of oil cargo.....
Tanker vessel safety guideline - tank cleaning procedures
Tank cleaning is the process of removing hydrocarbon vapors, liquids, or residues from cargo tanks onboard a tanker. Tank cleaning may be required for one or more of the following reasons:
To carry clean ballast, gas-free tanks for internal inspections, repairs, or before entering the dry dock. Also to remove sediments from tank top plating.
Pumproom procedure
A pump room onboard an oil tanker contains the largest concentration of cargo pipelines of any space within the ship and leakage of a volatile product from any part of this system could lead to the rapid generation of a flammable or toxic atmosphere......
Pumproom inspection for tankers
Correct use and setup of pump room(s) ventilation systems are essential to ensure that pump room(s) remain free from explosive or toxic atmospheres. Invariably the system fans are set up to make suction from below the bottom floor plates, i.e., from the bilge area. It gives full and proper circulation of all air in the pumproom to maintain a safe atmosphere......
Crude oil washing for tankers Crude oil washing (C.O.W.) is a system whereby oil tanks on a tanker are cleaned out between voyages not with water, but with crude oil - the cargo itself. The solvent action of crude oil makes the cleaning process far more effective than when water is used. However, such a technique of washing cargo tanks involves many hazards, and careful consideration will need to be made for safe planning and execution. ......
Oil pollution prevention method
Any misuse of fuel oil can lead to significant claims and jeopardize the safety of the ship. The International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) makes recommendations for the safe carriage and handling of petroleum cargo, which is seen as a fundamental part of overall Tanker Safety.
General precautions for tankers Navigating through thunderstorms should be avoided as far as practically possible by changing of course while cargo related activities are carried out which may result in discharge of flammable vapors. If the passing through thunderstorms cannot be avoided, all open cargo oil tank hatches should be closed until the vessel has passed through the thunderstorm The valves in the main vent lines may be temporarily secured in locked position, but must be opened immediately after passing through the thunderstorm........
Tanker equipment and machinery The Chief Engineer and Chief Officer shall jointly be responsible for the inspection and maintenance of the following cargo oil transfer equipment and machinery before entering port. The Chief Engineer shall prepare and maintain the equipment manuals of machinery and equipment, including critical components related to cargo operations including the procedures for their Emergency operation. All items should be in good operational condition.
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