tankers.pdf
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27/5/2014 TANKERS
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An important question from our sponsors The Young Firm, of New Orleans USA. Please see notice at the bottom of this page:
Steve's Guide To Vessel Types.
TANKERS
Tankers are designed to carry liquid cargoes (not just oil) although the carriage of crude oil has brought the tanker
unwelcome attention and largely unjustified criticism. Oil tankers come in two basic flavours, the crude carrier, which
carries crude oil, and the clean products tanker, which carries the refined products, such as petrol, gasolene, aviation
fuel, kerosene and paraffin. Tankers range in all sizes, from the small bunkering tanker (used for refuelling largervessels) of 1000 DWT tons to the real giants: the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) of between 2-300,000 DWT and the
ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) of over 300,000 DWT
HANDYSIZE TANKER = 20,000 - 30,000 DWT
HANDYMAX TANKER = approx 45,000 DWT
PANAMAX TANKER = approx 79,000 DWT
AFRAMAX TANKER = between 79,000 - 120,000 DWT
SUEZMAX TANKER = between 120,000 - 180,000 DWT
V.L.C.C. TANKER = between 200,000 - 300,000 DWT
U.L.C.C. TANKER = over 300,000 DWT
It should be remembered that over 60% of the world's oil is transported by these tankers, and over 99% of that arrivessafely without causing pollution. Indeed most oil pollution seen on beaches comes from the engine rooms of vessels (of
all types) and not from the cargo tanks of tankers.
To ensure that oil tankers transport to all parts of the world, and not just the affluent western countries where freight
rates might be expected to be higher, (and therefore tankers congregate), there is a system called WORLDSCALE, whichensures that net freight earnings for tanker owners are the same, regardless of length of voyage and varying costs
(such as bunkers and port dues), so that a tanker will earn (net) as much per day on a route that is long and arduous asthey will on a short and low cost voyage. This ensures that tankers take their goods to all parts of the world and don't
just concentrate on the lucrative Middle East to Western Europe or USA routes.
27/5/2014 TANKERS
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HANDY SIZE PANAMAX SIZE AFRAMAX SIZE
SUEXMAX SIZE V.L.C.C. SIZE U.L.C.C. SIZE
RAF Tanker
Navigator
Peter Bodle,
Tony ...
New £18.86
Oil on Water
Paul French and
Sa...
New £16.11
BP Tankers
Bill Harvey,
Raymo...
New £37.87
Sea Shell
Stephen Howarth
Privacy Information
Those who would criticise the marine Tanker industry would do well consider walking to work in the morning, to an
unheated office, with no power for computers, lights or communications. We have a lot to thank the tanker industry for,
so don't knock it when you depend on it so much ! Increased regulation on the construction, maintenance and crew
competence of tankers, such as under the Maritime Pollution Convention (MARPOL) and in the USA, the U.S. Oil PollutionAct of 1990 (OPA90) has required double hull tankers to be built (of questionable value, but of undoubted high cost!), the
phasing out of single skinned tankers and COFRs (Certificates of Financial Responsibility), which demonstrate that the
operator has the financial backing, should a pollution event occur, to pay for the necessary clean-up.
In the "real world" (i.e outside of the USA) international agreements such as the CLC and Fund Conventions have
provided clear levels of compensation that the oil industry are committed to provide to protect the environment. The
MARPOL convention is a major force in ensuring a professional attitude is required of any vessel owner/operatorcarrying persistent oil as cargo.
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