Manual on Oil Pollution - Section I: Prevention, 2011 Edition (IA557E)

This manual provides an overview of the various oil pollution prevention practices. It provides useful information to assist governments, in particular those of developing countries, in taking appropriate measures to prevent or minimise operational and accidental pollution from ships, in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978, (MARPOL).

This publication was prepared by the OPRC-HNS Technical Group, a subsidiary body of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee. It replaces the 1983 edition of the Manual on Oil Pollution, Section I – Prevention. This revised edition significantly updates the information included in the previous edition and includes several new sections covering, in particular, prevention aspects of ship-to-ship transfers at sea and the prevention of pollution from ships in ice covered waters.

The Manual on Oil Pollution, Section I aims to provide useful information to assist governments, in particular those of developing countries, in taking appropriate measure to prevent or minimize operational and accidental pollution from ships, in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL).

MARPOL is the main international convention aimed at protecting the marine environment from operational and accidental pollution from ships. Its six annexes regulate the prevention of marine pollution by oil, noxious liquid substances in bulk, harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form, sewage, and garbage, as well as the prevention of air pollution.

The Manual on Oil Pollution series consists of six sections:

Section I – Prevention (contained in this publication)

Section II – Contingency Planning (revised edition published 1995)

Section III – Salvage (revised edition published 1997)

Section IV – Combating Oil Spills (revised edition published 2005)

Section V – Administrative Aspects of Oil Pollution Response (revised edition published 2009)

Section VI – IMO Guidelines for Sampling and Identification of Oil Spills (published 1998).

A greater understanding of spill effects and damages has strengthened the resolve of many governments to focus efforts on prevention. The premise of this manual is that every oil spill, regardless of its size or its source, is worthy of prevention efforts at some level. It is widely understood that the size of an oil spill alone does not determine the degree of its resulting damage – either environmentally or economically.

This section of the Manual on Oil Pollution is intended to provide practical guidance, describing procedures for the handling of oil cargoes, bunkering, ship-to-ship transfer operations, transfer operations involving offshore units and operations in ice covered waters. It also provides an overview of the various practices, as a complement to the more detailed industry standards and codes of practice currently in place. The information provided does not supersede or replace any information, laws, or regulations contained in any other publications with respect to the waters and areas to which it pertains.

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – Requirements for all ships

2.1 General

2.2 Bunkering operations

2.3 Transferring fuel oil within a ship

2.4 Machinery space bilges

2.5 Oily water separating equipment and oil content meters

2.6 Fuel and lubricating oil purifiers

2.7 Oil Record Book

2.8 Checklists

2.9 References

2.10 Relevant industry websites

Chapter 3 – Requirements for all tankers

3.1 General application of MARPOL Annex I

3.2 Oil tanker operations

3.3 References

Chapter 4 – Oil tanker operations at berths, piers or jetties

4.1 General

4.2 Requirements for berths

4.3 Requirements for facilities

4.4 Control and communications

4.5 Preparation for operations

4.6 Performance of operations

4.7 Completion of operations

4.8 Suspension of operations

4.9 Cautionary notices

4.10 Documents

4.11 Training

4.12 Oil spill response

4.13 Prevention, clean-up and reporting

4.14 References

Chapter 5 – Oil tanker operations at offshore berths (single point and buoy moorings)

5.1 General

5.2 General description of facilities and their mooring arrangements

5.3 Hoses

5.4 Control and communications

5.5 Preparation for operations

5.6 Performance of operations

5.7 Completion of operations

5.8 Suspension of operations

5.9 Training

5.10 Oil spill response

5.11 Prevention, clean-up and reporting

5.12 References

Chapter 6 – Ship-to-ship transfer of crude oil and petroleum products while underway or at anchor

6.1 Introduction

6.2 General requirements for vessels involved in ship-to-ship transfer operations

6.3 Risk assessment

6.4 Preparation for operations

6.5 Performance of operations

6.6 Completion of operations

6.7 Suspension of operations

6.8 References

Chapter 7 – Operations at offshore floating (production) storage and offloading facilities

7.1 General

7.2 FPSO and FSU mooring arrangements

7.3 FPSO and FSU offloading arrangements

7.4 Risk management

7.5 Tandem moored offtake operations at FPSOs and FSUs

7.6 Side by side offtake operations at FPSOs and FSUs

7.7 Offtake tanker operations

7.8 Control and communications

7.9 Preparation for operations

7.10 Performance of operations

7.11 Completion of operations

7.12 Suspension of operations

7.13 FPSO and FSU operations while disconnected from their mooring system

7.14 References

Chapter 8 – Oil tanker operations in ice covered waters

8.1 Recommendations to ships operating in ice covered waters

8.2 Ice classification rules

8.3 Ice navigator

8.4 Anchoring and towing

8.5 Safety requirements

8.6 Operating and training manuals

8.7 Environmental protection

8.8 Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) and Ship/Response Vessel System (Servs)

8.9 Preparing ships for sailing in ice covered waters

8.10 Sailing in ice

8.11 Transfer of oil in ice covered waters

8.12 References

8.13 Relevant industry body websites

Chapter 9 – Shore facilities and oil transfer operations other than at dock areas

Appendix – Examples of checklists

A??s a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.

Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can only operate effectively if the regulations and standards are themselves agreed, adopted and implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the forum at which this process takes place.