No. 2 2006/2007 - Condition Surveys: Tankers which carry Heavy Fuel Oil as cargo

TO ALL TANKER MEMBERS

Dear Sirs

CONDITION SURVEYS: TANKERS WHICH CARRY HEAVY FUEL OIL AS CARGO

Members will be aware that the International Group of P&I Clubs has made a number of proposals to contribute to the elimination of sub-standard shipping.

Agreement has been reached on the minimum scope of information that condition surveys are to include, and on the use of common survey triggers. West of England condition surveys already comply with the former, and the Club has been using most of the survey triggers for some time.

However, an additional survey trigger has been introduced. The Group has agreed that seagoing tankers aged 10 years or more should be surveyed if they have carried heavy fuel oil (HFO) as cargo in the previous 12 months, unless:

• the ship has undergone a P&I Club condition survey during the previous 12 months; or
• the ship has undergone a class Special Survey during the previous 6 months; or
• the ship is currently rated as CAP 1 or CAP 2 by an IACS classification society.

Members who operate tankers are asked to complete and return the attached Declaration Form, listing all vessels in their fleet aged 10 years or more which carried HFO as cargo between 20 February 2005 and 19 February 2006. A similar declaration will be required annually.

If a tanker continues to carry HFO as cargo in successive years, the Club is not obliged to carry out an annual condition survey. However, the ship will need to be re-examined at least once every three years, or more frequently at the Club’s discretion.

The definition of HFO to be used for the purpose of the annual declaration is as follows:

A residual fuel with a kinematic viscosity of 380 centipoise or greater when measured at 50 degrees Celsius by Test Method ISO 3104.

This definition is intended to exclude intermediate fuel oils or heavy crudes, as well as bitumen or tar.

Members affected by this Notice are asked to submit their Declaration Forms to the Loss Prevention department as soon as possible, but not later than 31 May 2006.

Yours faithfully
West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A.
(As Managers)

M W H Williams
Director

link to Declaration Form in Word Format(to use this form, right-click and 'save target as')