The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 1993

9.  The following Part shall be inserted after Part 5 (regulations 27 to 29)—

“PART 5A— IMPROVED REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF OIL TANKERS AGAINST OIL POLLUTION IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION OR STRANDING

“New” oil tankers (building contracts after 5th July 1993, etc)

29A.— (1) This regulation applies to oil tankers of 600 tons deadweight and above (beingships to which these Regulations apply)—

(a) for which the building contract is placed on or after 6th July 1993; or

(b) in the absence of a building contract, the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of construction on or after 6th January 1994; or

(c) the delivery of which is on or after 6th July 1996; or

(d) which has undergone a major conversion—

(i) for which the contract is placed after 6th July 1993; or

(ii) in the absence of a contract, the construction work of which is begun after 6th January 1994; or

(iii) which is completed after 6th July 1996.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) of this regulation, every oil tanker of 5,000 tons deadweight and above (being an oil tanker to which these Regulations apply), shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (3) of this regulation; and, in the case of an oil tanker in respect of which regulation 19 makes provision, compliance with the requirements of the said paragraph (3) shall be instead of compliance with the requirements of that regulation.

(3) The entire cargo tank length shall be protected by ballast tanks or spaces other than cargo and fuel oil tanks as follows—

(a) Wing tanks or spaces

(a) Wing tanks or spaces shall extend either for the full depth of the ship’s side or from the top of the double bottom to the uppermost deck, disregarding a rounded gunwale where fitted. They shall be arranged in such a way that the cargo tanks are located inboard of the moulded line of the side shell plating, nowhere less than the distance w which, as shown in figure 1 at the end of this regulation, is measured at any cross—section at right angles to the side shell, as specified below—

w = 2.0m;

whichever is the lesser, but with a minimum value of—

w = 1.0m.

(b) Double bottom tanks or spaces

(b) At any cross—section the depth of each double bottom tank or space shall be such that the distance h between the bottom of the cargo tanks and the moulded line of the bottom shell plating measured at right angles to the bottom shell plating as shown in the said figure 1 is not less than specified below

h = B / 15(m); orh = 2.0m;

whichever is the lesser, but with a minimum value of h = 1.0 m.

(c) Turn of the bilge area or at locations without a clearly defined turn of the bilge

(c) When the distances h and w are different, the distance w shall have preference at levels exceeding 1.5 h above the baseline as shown in the said figure 1.

(d) The aggregate capacity of ballast tanks

(d) On crude oil tankers of 20,000 tons deadweight and above and product carriers of 30,000 tons deadweight and above, the aggregate capacity of wing tanks, double bottom tanks, forepeak tanks and afterpeak tanks shall not be less than the capacity of segregated ballast tanks necessary to meet the requirements of regulation 18.Wing tanks or spaces and double bottom tanks used to meet the requirements of regulation 18 shall be located as uniformly as practicable along the cargo tank length. Additional segregated ballast capacity provided for reducing longitudinal hull girder bending stress, trim, etc., may be located anywhere within the ship.

(e) Suction wells in cargo tanks

(e) Suction wells in cargo tanks may protrude into the double bottom below the boundary line defined by the distance h provided that such wells are as small as practicable and the distance between the well bottom and bottom shell plating is not less than 0.5 h.

(f) Ballast and cargo piping

(f) Ballast piping and other piping such as sounding and vent piping to ballast tanks shall not pass through cargo tanks. Cargo piping and similar piping to cargo tanks shall not pass through ballast tanks.The Secretary of State may grant exemption from these requirements for short lengths of piping, provided that they are completely welded or equivalent.

(4) (a) Double bottom tanks or spaces as required by paragraph (3)(b) of this regulation maybe dispensed with, provided that the design of the tanker is such that the cargo and vapour pressure exerted on the bottom shell plating forming a single boundary between the cargo and the sea does not exceed the external hydrostatic water pressure, as expressed by the following formula:

f × h_c × pc × g + 100Δp≤d_n × p_s × g

where:

h_c = height of cargo in contact with the bottom shell plating in metres;

p_c = maximum cargo density in t/m³;

d_n = minimum operating draught under any expected loading condition in metres;

p_s = density of sea water in t/m³;

Δp = maximum set pressure of pressure/vacuum valve provided for the cargo tank in bars;

f = safety factor = 1.1;

g = standard acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s²).

(b) Any horizontal partition necessary to fulfil the requirements of sub—paragraph (a) of this paragraph shall be located at a height of not less than B/6 or 6 metres, whichever is the lesser, but not more than 0.6D, above the baseline (where D is the moulded depth amidships).

(c) Where the double bottom tanks or spaces are dispensed with pursuant to sub—paragraph (a) of this paragraph, the location of wing tanks or spaces shall be in accordance with paragraph (3)(a) of this regulation except that, below a level 1.5 h above the baseline (where h is as defined in paragraph (3)(b) of this regulation), the cargo tank boundary line may be vertical down to the bottom plating, as shown in figure 2 at the end of this regulation.

(5) Instead of complying with the requirements of paragraph (3) or (4) of this regulation,an oil tanker mentioned in paragraph (2) of this regulation may conform to other methods of design and construction, provided that such methods—

(a) ensure at least the same level of protection against oil pollution in the event of collision or stranding; and

(b) have the approval of the Secretary of State based on guidelines developed by the Organization.

(6) For an oil tanker of 20,000 tons deadweight and above (being an oil tanker to which these Regulations apply), the provisions stated in regulation 29(2)(b) regarding the extent and the character of the assumed damage shall be supplemented by the following assumed bottom raking damage—

(a) longitudinal extent—

(i) if the oil tanker is of 75,000 tons deadweight and above—

0.6L measured from the forward perpendicular;

(ii) if the oil tanker is of less than 75,000 tons deadweight—

0.4L measured from the forward perpendicular;

(b) transverse extent—

B/3 anywhere in the bottom;

(c) vertical extent—

breach of the outer hull.

(7) Every oil tanker of less than 5,000 tons deadweight (being an oil tanker to which this regulation applies) shall comply with the following requirements, that is to say—

(a) that the tanker shall be fitted with double bottom tanks or spaces having such a depth that the distance h specified in paragraph (3)(b) of this regulation complies with the following

h = B/15, with a minimum value of h = 0.76m;

(b) that, in the turn of the bilge area and at locations without a clearly defined turn of the bilge, the cargo tank boundary line shall run parallel to the line of the mid—ship flat bottom as shown in figure 3 at the end of this regulation; and

(c) that the tanker shall be provided with cargo tanks so arranged that the capacity of each cargo tank does not exceed 700m³ unless wing tanks or spaces are arranged in accordance with paragraph (3)(a) of this regulation, but with the distance w computed as follows—

• with a minimum value of w = 0.76m.

(8) In an oil tanker to which this regulation applies, oil shall not be carried in any space extending forward of a collision bulkhead located in accordance with regulation 3 of the Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) Regulations 1984(1).

An oil tanker to which this regulation applies and which is not required to have a collision bulkhead in accordance with the said regulation 3 shall not carry oil in any space extending forward of the transverse plane perpendicular to the centreline that is located as if it were a collision bulkhead located in accordance with that regulation.

(9) In approving the design and construction of an oil tanker to which this regulation applies, the Certifying Authority shall have due regard to general safety considerations (including the need for the maintenance of and for inspections of wing and double bottom tanks or spaces).

“Existing” oil tankers (building contracts before 6th July 1993, etc.)

29B.— (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this regulation, this regulation applies to every crude oil tanker of 20,000 tons deadweight and above and to every product carrier of 30,000 tons deadweight and above (being, in either case, a ship to which these Regulations apply)—

(a) for which the building contract is placed before 6th July 1993 or, in the absence of a building contract, the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of construction before 6th January 1994; and

(b) which is delivered before 6th July 1996.

(2) This regulation does not apply (or, having applied, shall cease to apply) to a crude oil tanker or product carrier which has undergone a major conversion—

(i) for which the contract is placed after 6th July 1993 or, in the absence of a contract, the construction work of which is begun after 6th January 1994; or

(ii) which is completed after 6th July 1996.

(3) This regulation does not apply (or, having applied, shall cease to apply) to an oil tanker which, although not required to comply with the requirements of regulation 29A,—

(a) does in fact comply with—

(i) the requirements of paragraph (3) of that regulation; or

(ii) those requirements as modified in accordance with paragraph (4) of that regulation; or

(b) conforms to other methods of design and construction which satisfy the requirements of paragraph (5) of that regulation;

and, for the purposes of this regulation, an oil tanker which does not meet in all respects the requirements mentioned in sub—paragraph (a) or (b) of this paragraph as regards minimum distances between the cargo tank boundaries and the ship side and bottom plating shall be treated as meeting those requirements if

(A) the side protection distance is not less than that which the IBC Code specifies for type 2 cargo tank location (that is to say, the said distance is nowhere less than 760mm from the shell plating); and

(B) the bottom protection distance is not less than the lesser of B/15 and 2 metres (the distances mentioned in regulation 19(4)(b)).

In sub—paragraph (A) above, “IBC Code” means the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (1990 Edition) published by the Organization.

(4) The requirements of this regulation take effect on 6th July 1995.

(5) (a) An oil tanker to which this regulation applies—

(i) if it is a United Kingdom ship, shall be subject to an enhanced programme of inspections during renewal, annual, and intermediate surveys conducted pursuant to regulations 4, 5 and 6;

(ii) if it is not a United Kingdom ship, shall have undergone periodical, intermediate and annual surveys as provided for by the Convention;

and the scope of such surveys shall at least comply (if the tanker is a United Kingdom ship) or have complied (if the tanker is not a United Kingdom ship) with guidelines developed by the Organization pursuant to regulation 13G(3)(a) of Annex I.

(b) An oil tanker to which this regulation applies and which is over five years of age shall carry on board a complete file containing the reports or copies of the reports on surveys of the ship carried out pursuant to—

(i) the requirements of these regulations (if the tanker is a United Kingdom ship);

(ii) the requirements of the Convention (if the tanker is not a United Kingdom ship);

and the file shall contain the results of all scantling measurement required and a statement of all structural work carried out and shall be available for inspection

(A) if the tanker is a United Kingdom ship, by the Certifying Authority, or by the competent authority of the Government of any State (other than the United Kingdom) which is a party to the Convention;

(B) if the tanker is not a United Kingdom ship, by the Certifying Authority.

(c) The file shall be accompanied by a condition evaluation report containing conclusions on the structural condition of the ship and its residual scantlings, and endorsed to indicate that it is considered satisfactory—

(i) if the tanker is a United Kingdom ship, by the Certifying Authority;

(ii) if the tanker is not a United Kingdom ship, by or on behalf of the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly.

(d) The file and condition evaluation reports shall be prepared in a standard format in accordance with guidelines developed by the Organization pursuant to the said regulation 13G(3)(a) of Annex I.

(6) (a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this paragraph, an oil tanker—

(i) which is not a new oil tanker as defined in regulation 17(1); and

(ii) to which this regulation still applies immediately before the expiration of 25 years from the date on which it was delivered;

shall on the expiration of that period become subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) to (6) and (8) and (9) of regulation 29A, and this regulation shall cease to apply to it.

(b) The tanker shall not become subject to the said provisions of regulation 29A (and this regulation shall not cease to apply to it) until the expiration of 30 years from the date on which it is delivered if on the expiration of 25 years from that date wing tanks or double bottom spaces, not used for the carriage of oil and meeting the width and height requirements of regulation 19(4), cover—

(i) at least 30% of Lt for the full depth of the ship on each side; or

(ii) at least 30% of the projected bottom shell area within the length L;

where L is as defined in regulation 19(2).

(7) An oil tanker—

(a) which is a new oil tanker as defined in regulation 17(1); and

(b) to which this regulation applies immediately before the expiration of 30 years from the date on which it was delivered;

shall on the expiration of that period become subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) to (6) and (8) and (9) of regulation 29A, and this regulation shall cease to apply to it.

(8) Any new ballast and load conditions resulting from the application of paragraph (6) of this regulation shall, where the oil tanker is a United Kingdom ship, be subject to the approval of the Certifying Authority, and the Certifying Authority shall have particular regard to the longitudinal and local strength, intact stability and, if applicable, damage stability.

(9) Other structural or operational arrangements may be accepted as alternatives to the requirements of paragraph (6) of this regulation, so however that the alternative arrangements ensure at least the same level of protection against oil pollution in the event of collision or stranding and have the approval of the Secretary of State (in the case of a United Kingdom ship) or of the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly (in the case of a ship other than a United Kingdom ship) based on guidelines developed by the Organization pursuant to regulation 13G(7) of Annex I.”.

(1)

S.I. 1984/1217, to which the only relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1985/661.