Please click for more information on the following news articles:
- Focus on China (16 December 2005)
- Staff changes (29 November 2005)
- New Ocean Orbit (9 November 2005)
- 2005 BIMCO Address (28 September 2005)
- International Seminar on Tanker Safety, Pollution Prevention & Spill Preparedness, 8th December, Shanghai, China (2 August 2005)
- 2005 ANNUAL REVIEW (2 August 2005)
- AMOP 2005 (12 July 2005)
- New Technical Information Paper (3 May 2005)
- 2005 ITOPF Handbook (19 April 2005)
- VICUÑA, Explosion, Paranagua, Brazil, 15th November 2004 (29 March 2005)
- MSC AL AMINE grounding and bunker fuel spill, Tunisia, 15th February 2005 (15 March 2005)
- OCEAN ORBIT JUST PUBLISHED (8 February 2005)
- Tanker statistics 2004 (1 February 2005)
Focus on China
In early December 2005, three oil and shipping organisations, OCIMF, ITOPF and Intertanko converged on Shanghai to hold a series of meetings culminating in a one-day seminar on Tanker Safety, Pollution Prevention and Spill Preparedness on 8th December. The three organisations are uniquely placed to identify the main factors relevant to minimising pollution risks and fostering an effective response to pollution incidents.
The seminar was attended by about 120 people representating central and local government, oil companies, shipping companies, P&I Club correspondents, law firms, salvage companies, oil spill clean-up companies, environmental groups and academic institutions. The programme included speakers from the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, Shanghai Salvage Bureau, Steamship Mutual P&I Club and several marine research institutions in China.
In his opening address, Dr Helmut Sohmen of Bergesen Worldwide and Chairman of ITOPF, commented on the increase in maritime trade to China, fuelled by rapid economic growth, and carrying with it a significant increase in the number of oil pollution incidents in Chinese waters. In the last year alone ITOPF has responded to five oil spills in China, more than in any other country. There has also been a disproportionate increase in the size of compensation claims, in many instances without sufficient supporting evidence.
Industry participants want to be assured that measures taken to combat oil spills are appropriate, but also that the associated costs are reasonable and that claims are fully justified. Adherence to internationally recognised norms and attendant forms of procedure by all parties -- including governments and their organs -- will ultimately be to the benefit of all parties involved.
The remedies available for dealing with the pattern of changing oil pollution risks were highlighted by speakers from all three organisations sponsoring the seminar. Such measures are partly governed by legislation and partly achieved by voluntary measures undertaken by the oil industry and the shipping community.
So far the oil spills in Chinese waters have been small, but the chance of a major incident happening also in this part of the world increases as the volume of trade grows. Another conclusion from the ITOPF database of oil spills worldwide is the fact that the most significant oil spills from ships occur as a result of collisions and groundings.
A second theme of the seminar concerned the effects of oil pollution on the marine environment and on fisheries. The coastline of China is characterised by rich fishing grounds and mariculture resources. A panel discussion involving fisheries and pollution response experts provided an opportunity to explore and compare domestic and international experience. Harnessing marine research capabilities to support the investigation of pollution damage is a key issue in promoting a fair and quick resolution of compensation claims in accordance with the international Civil Liability and Fund Conventions ratified by China.
16 December 2005
Staff changes
There have been a number of staff changes in the last few months. Alexander Nicolau, a Technical Adviser, left ITOPF in September to pursue a new life in Japan. Dr Natalia Martini is currently on maternity leave having given birth to her baby son Lorenzo in October. Jayne Foster, a Technical Team Secretary, is also on maternity leave. Stéphane Grenon has just returned to Canada to take up a position as Head of Environmental Emergencies Division, Environment Canada, Quebec region. On the plus side, Enya Elswood was recruited in October, as a Technical Team Secretary. We are also currently seeking two marine pollution advisers to join the technical team. 29 November 2005
New Ocean Orbit
ITOPF's latest issue of OCEAN ORBIT, published this week, highlights the role of science in oil spill response. It features reports on three recent cases - the MT VICUNA, ATHOS I and MSC ROBERTA and examines trends in oil spills from tankers over the last ten years. It provides an update on ITOPF's activities in HNS response and looks at environmental damage following oil spills. Copies of the newsletter are available free from ITOPF (contact Terry Goodchild) or can be downloaded in PDF format from the Publications page of our website.
9 November 2005
2005 BIMCO Address
The Chairman of ITOPF, Dr Helmut Sohmen of World-Wide Shipping Group, delivered the Keynote Address - Moving Forward In Shipping - at the centenary celebrations of BIMCO, on 23rd May 2005.
28 September 2005
International Seminar on Tanker Safety, Pollution Prevention & Spill Preparedness, 8th December, Shanghai, China
ITOPF, INTERTANKO and OCIMF are jointly organising a Seminar to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai on Thursday 8th December. The Seminar will address tanker safety issues, highlighting opportunities for preventing pollution from ships, and recommending procedures for dealing with pollution incidents in an effective manner. The aim is to engage the interest of both government and industry representatives. Attendance is open to representatives of central and local government, oil companies, shipping companies, P&I Club correspondents, law firms, salvage companies, oil spill clean-up companies, environmental groups and academic institutions. Attendance at the Seminar, including a Buffet Lunch, will be free of charge. Attendees will, however, be responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel and hotel costs. There will clearly be a maximum number that can be accommodated, and so to guarantee your place we request that you complete the Seminar Booking Form and return it to Terry Goodchild at ITOPF (Fax: +44 207 566 6950)
View seminar invitation letter & programme (in English PDF 31Kb and Chinese PDF 90Kb) and booking form (PDF 30 Kb).
2 August 2005
2005 ANNUAL REVIEW
ITOPF has just published its latest Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 20 February 2005. If you would like to receive a copy please contact Terry Goodchild. 2 August 2005
AMOP 2005
ITOPF attended the 28th session of the 2005 AMOP Conference (Arctic & Marine Oil-spill Program) held in Calgary, Canada on June 7th-9th. The conference was an opportunity to re-affirm ITOPF's links with the commercial, governmental and research organisations present, as well as keeping up-to-date with developments in dealing with oil spills in cold water environments. ITOPF was represented by Keisha Huijer and Andrew Tucker, who gave presentations on "Trends in Oil Spills from Tanker Ships 1995-2004" and "Spill Experiences in the last 12 months" respectively.
12 July 2005
New Technical Information Paper
The fourth of ITOPF's new series of Technical Information Papers (TIPs) has just been published. "The Use of Chemical Dispersants to Treat Oil Spills" replaces two earlier TIPs "Aerial Application of Oil Spill Dispersants" and "Use of Oil Spill Dispersants". This new paper describes the mechanism of dispersion and dispersant composition; it discusses the limitations of dispersants, and looks at application methods and environmental considerations.
Single copies of the TIP are available free of charge from Terry Goodchild at ITOPF; multiple copies are charged at £1.00, reducing to 0.75p (excluding postage) for bulk orders. Copies can also be downloaded from the Publications page .
3 May 2005
2005 ITOPF Handbook
ITOPF has just published its ninth annual Handbook, containing a wealth of valuable information and guidance for those likely to be involved in spills of oil and chemicals from ships. This year's edition contains updated information on spill compensation (including a section on the Supplementary Fund), oil spill statistics and ITOPF staff. Information is also provided on the fate and effects of oil spills, clean-up techniques and the organisation of spill response and planning.
Copies of the ITOPF Handbook are available free to ITOPF Members and Associates, as well as to closely related groups. Single copies are also available to others on request - contact Terry Goodchild.
19 April 2005
VICUÑA, Explosion, Paranagua, Brazil, 15th November 2004
MT VICUÑA (11,636 gt) suffered an explosion whilst discharging a cargo of methanol at Catallini Pier in Paranaguá Port, Brazil on the evening of 15 November. Structural damage to the vessel was severe and caused it to sink in shallow water alongside the berth. After the explosion, fuel oil impacted areas of high environmental sensitivity to the north and east of the accident site. It is estimated that up to 400 tonnes of IFO 180 were spilled. Much of the 4,000 tonnes of methanol that was on board the VICUÑA burnt in the fire or evaporated or dissolved in the water upon release. ITOPF was mobilised by the vessel's insurer and arrived on-site on 17 November.
The Port of Paranaguá is on the southern shore of Paranaguá Bay, in Paraná Province, Brazil. Although Paranaguá is a busy port, the bay supports abundant wildlife and extensive mangroves and saltmarshes. It is home to significant numbers of sea turtles, dolphins and high numbers of seabirds feeding on the large schools of pelagic fish. Subsistence fishing and aquaculture, including intertidal oyster cultivation, take place in the estuary system that combines Paranaguá Bay with the bays of Antonina and Guaraqueçaba. There are also a number of tourist and conservation sites in the area, in particular the beaches of Pontal do Sul and Isla do Mel, and several national and state parks, including the island national park of Superaguï.
The oil spill response operation was led by the shipowner with direction and supervision of the activities being provided by local and federal government agencies. To minimise leakage of oil from the wreck site, booms were deployed and maintained around the casualty. Response efforts were hampered by high currents, which made effective containment difficult.
Three main types of habitat were affected by oil: sandy beaches, mangroves and associated saltmarshes, and rocky and manmade shores (including concrete quays and jetties). Areas sensitive to damage from active clean-up, such as the mangroves, were largely left to recover naturally. Where clean-up was necessary, the majority of the work was carried out manually with the assistance of local contractors utilising local villagers as an additional source of manpower. At the height of operations some 300 personnel were deployed. Most of the bulk oil had been removed by early January and fine cleaning of rocky shores and beaches is due to complete shortly.
Salvors were engaged to recover the bunker oil remaining on board after the explosion and later to remove the wreck from its position alongside the pier. Wreck removal is anticipated to finish by the end of March/early April.
A monitoring programme to assess environmental damage and recovery is being undertaken by the Federal University of Paraná's Centre for Marine Studies (UFPR / CEM). To date, no signs of stress, such as yellowing or defoliation, have been detected and local experts have confirmed that environmental damage is limited and localised.
Initial wildlife casualties from the incident included several marine turtles as well as a number of sea birds. A mobile wildlife rehabilitation centre was set up in a disused port authority building and specialist personnel employed to undertake an assessment of the severity of impact. Field surveys revealed surprisingly few wildlife casualties and operations were wound down by the end of November.
As a precautionary measure, a fishing ban was enforced in the entire estuary following the incident. The ban prohibited the harvesting of molluscs and finfish and also barred all water sport activities in the area. It was lifted after bulk oil had been removed from the water surface and shores and after the authorities were satisfied that no contamination was present in water and harvested marine organisms. A small fishing exclusion zone remains around the accident site while the remainder of the wreck is being removed.
29 March 2005
MSC AL AMINE grounding and bunker fuel spill, Tunisia, 15th February 2005
As a result of a minor collision with another vessel while at berth in the port of La Goulette, Tunisia, the general cargo ship MSC AL AMINE (GT 8,631) was sent to an anchorage on the western side of the Bay of Tunis on 14th February 2005. During the night of Tuesday 15th a storm caused the vessel to drag her anchor and she subsequently drifted on to rocks off Ain Oktor beach, near the town of Korbous some 25 km northeast of Tunis. Fortunately there were no crew injuries.
The vessel had an unconfirmed quantity of bunker fuel (IFO 180) on board along with 75 tonnes of diesel. As a result of the grounding all four of the double-bottom bunker tanks were open to sea along with cargo holds No. 2 and 3 and the engine room. The spilled fuel oil stranded on a 1.5 km stretch of the cobble and boulder shoreline at Ain Oktor under the influence of the north westerly winds.
At the request of Assuranceforeningen Gard, the vessel's pollution insurer, Alex Hunt arrived on site for ITOPF on 17th February to liaise with local authorities and make assessments of the extent of contamination and shoreline clean-up operations.
Fortunately onshore winds kept the oil ashore, enabling the authorities to focus on removing the gross contamination from the relatively short stretch of coastline at Ain Oktor using manual clean-up methods. Within the space of 10 days the bulk oil and oily debris had been removed and the authorities had demobilised the clean-up by the 28th February.
In order to re-float the grounded vessel the services of SMIT Salvage were contracted at an early stage and resources had arrived on site by 18th February. By the 25th the AL AMINE had been successfully re-floated and towed to dry dock after making repairs to the damaged holds and transferring the remaining bunker fuel to intact ballast tanks.
Secondary clean-up operations are scheduled to begin on the 21st March 2005 with an emphasis on the use of high pressure washing to clean the oil from contaminated cobbles and boulders. The specialised French clean-up company, Le Floch Dépollution, will be carrying out this work with assistance from local contractors. It is expected to take approximately 60 days to finish cleaning the shoreline at Ain Oktor. ITOPF will be making periodic visits to the site throughout this operation.
15 March 2005
OCEAN ORBIT JUST PUBLISHED
In its latest newsletter, OCEAN ORBIT, published this week, ITOPF provides an update on its activities over the past two years. It looks at two incidents - the TASMAN SPIRIT and BERGE NICE, reports on developments in the international liability and compensation regimes and describes a number of training and contingency planning assignments undertaken by the organisation. Copies of the newsletter are available free from ITOPF (contact Terry Goodchild) or can be downloaded in PDF format from the Publications page of our website.
8 February 2005
Tanker Spill Statistics 2004
ITOPF has just published its oil tanker spill statistics for 2004. Analysis of the data reveals that there were 5 major spills over 700 tonnes last year, all of which occurred during the last four months of the year. The largest spill was from the AL SAMIDOON, which grounded in the Suez Canal on 14 December, spilling some 9,000 tonnes of Kuwaiti crude oil. This amounts to well over half of the total quantity of oil spilled from all tanker accidents for the year (15,000 tonnes).
It is also worth noting that the amount spilled from the PRESTIGE has been adjusted to take into account the 13,600 tonnes that were removed from the vessel in October 2004. This leaves the final figure for the PRESTIGE spill as 63,000 tonnes. Further details on the number of spills and quantity of oil spilt as a result of tanker accidents are available in our "Spills Pack" at www.itopf.com/stats.html.
1 February 2005