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FSO SAFIR – A MORE POSITIVE OUTLOOK?

The main risks associated with the FSO are the possible structural failure of the unit due to the lack of maintenance that could result in a leak from storage tanks due to a fracture forming on the hull or as a large release due to an explosion from the buildup of flammable gases.

The situation is particularly complex due to conflict in the region and the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

An oil spill from the FSO SAFER would be a major humanitarian and environmental disaster. A significant spill is likely to heavily impact the north-western coastline of Yemen, including the Yemeni Islands in the Red Sea, and Kamaran Island in particular. There is also a potential for oil to drift and impact neighbouring countries, including Djibouti, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.

The UN has coordinated a deal in Yemen to unload more than 1 million barrels of crude oil from the rusting FSO Safer tanker and make safe what officials and experts have described as a ticking environmental time bomb.

The floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) SAFER is located approximately 4.8 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen. It was originally built as an ultra-large crude carrier (ULCC) in Japan in 1976 and converted to a FSO in 1986. Since 1988, it has been moored at Ras Isa where, prior to the escalation of the conflict in 2015, it had been receiving, storing and exporting crude oil flowing from the Marib oil fields. The FSO SAFER is owned by Yemen’s national oil company, the Safer Exploration & Production Operation Company (SEPOC).

The FSO has not been inspected or maintained since 2015 and has been out of class since 2016, leading to serious concerns about its integrity. It is understood there is currently no oil leaking from the unit, but it is considered that the risk of an oil spill from the FSO SAFER is increasing as its structure, equipment and operating systems continue to deteriorate.

The area encompasses vulnerable ecosystems, including mangroves, coral reefs and bird habitats, as well as key infrastructures such as desalination plants and fishing ports.

The specific impacts of a spill would depend on variety of factors, such as the amount of oil spilled, the oil’s weathering characteristics and the meteorological and oceanic conditions at the time. Various spill scenarios from FSO SAFER have been investigated to enhance the understanding of the potential damage to the environment.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, all production and export operations related to FSO SAFER have been suspended, but an estimated 150,000 MT (nearly 1.1 million barrels) of crude oil remain onboard. This corresponds to four times the amount spilt during the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989, even though circumstances differ greatly.

Whilst prevention efforts are the primary focus for securing FSO SAFER, adequate preparedness in the event of a spill is also essential to ensure a timely and coordinated response and mitigate the severity of impacts should there be a release. To this end, IMO has engaged technical experts to support its contingency planning efforts aimed at enhancing preparedness within the region in the event of a spill. This contingency planning process aims to help improve the efficiency, effectiveness and management of emergency response operations in the event of a spill from the FSO SAFER.

Key areas of focus of these planning efforts include: identifying technical experts to assist in coordinating and managing a spill response at national and local levels; assessing the current capacity to respond to a spill; clarifying equipment and resource requirements; as well as identifying training needs for the relevant actors.

IMO is working in close collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office for Yemen, that has oversight within the UN system on matters related to FSO SAFER, and other UN agencies, as well as the Regional Organisation for the Conservation of the Environment in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) and the Government of Yemen to coordinate and support contingency planning efforts.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council announced a deal on 8 Mar 22 to transfer the oil from the FSO Safer. Mr Griffiths gave no details of the deal but Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, told reporters later that progress “as always in Yemen, needs to be solidified in order to be taken forward”.

However, we have been here before as a final agreement has to be reached with the Houthi rebels before any work can be undertaken.

More details at: https://www. thenationalnews.com/gulfnews/2022/02/16/deal-reached-in-yemento-unload-oil-from-floating-bomb-tanker/

The IMO website has further information: https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/ db220307.doc.htm

EA STAFF AND CATEGORY 3 AND 4 INCIDENTS

It is clear that the Environment Agency(EA) is under pressure from all sides atthe moment. As England faces floodsand droughts, rising sea levels andgreater demand on water supplies dueto climate change. It is also dealingwith justifiable public outcry over waterquality in rivers caused by agriculturaland sewage pollution.

DEFRA, of which the EA is one of itsagencies, is grappling with the implicationsof Brexit. It is having to introduce newenvironmental legislation, the adoption ofnew arrangements for funding the farmingindustry through a new mechanism offunding, trying to protect and expand theUK fishing industry, integrating new tradedeals into UK environmental legislation andis struggling to manage all it has to deliver.

It is also under financial pressure as allGovernment departments have to copewith rising inflation so funding does notgo as far as it did. Budgets are thereforesqueezed and likely to get tighter.

However, it is clear that within the EA itis stretched to breaking point. Perhaps itwas little surprise that it has apparently told its staff to ‘shut down’ and ignore reports of low-impact pollution eventsbecause it does not have enough moneyto investigate them, according to a leakedinternal report.

The ruling on so-called category 3 and 4 incidents means that events such as farm pollution or hazardous dumps by businesses may not be properly investigated. The decision has infuriated river groups and NGOs…’

In truth, the Environment Agency (EA) does not receive sufficient funds fromGovernment to do all it is now required todo.

It is therefore in the difficult position thatit struggles to find resource to adequatelyundertake many of its regulated roles –look at the state of rivers as an example ofthis.

Attending pollution incidents is animportant activity but so are many of itsother regulatory roles.

As an Association we have very close links to the EA and great respect for the dedication and professionalism for its staff. However, they are overstretched, underfunded, are littered with staffshortages leaving many posts vacant, withmany staff frustrated that they are unableto execute their regulatory role as well astheir experience tells them they should.

More information at:

https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2022/jan/10/ignore-lowimpact-pollution-events-environmentagency-staff

INDUSTRY NEWSX-PRESS PEARL – THIS SAD INCIDENT IS SLOWLY CONCLUDING.

The sad incident of the MV X-Press Pearl is slowly moving to a conclusion.

X-Press Pearl entered service in February 2021 as a short haul container feeder vessel. It would collect containers in small numbers and ‘feed’ them to major ports for onward shipment in large container vessels.

X-Press Pearl was built in China for Singapore-based X-Press Feeders, along with its sister ship X-Press Mekong. The 37,000-deadweight tonne (DWT) container vessel could carry 2,743 twenty-foot equivalent units. The ship was launched on 28 September 2020 and delivered on 10 February 2021.

The vessel was deployed on the Straits to Middle East service of X-Press Feeders, from Port Klang (Malaysia) via Singapore and Jebel Ali (Dubai, UAE) to Hamad Port (Qatar). The return voyage to Malaysia was via Hazira (India) and Colombo (Sri Lanka). The vessel had made three voyages, calling at Colombo on 17 March and 18 April, and caught fire shortly after arriving for its third call at the port on 19 May.

At the time she was carrying 1486 containers including 25 tons of nitric acid, other chemicals, cosmetics and low density polyethylene (LDPE) pellets when its departed the port of Hariza on 15 May 2021, arriving off Colombo on 19 May. By 11 May the crew had discovered that a container loaded at Jebel Ali was leaking nitric acid and had requested both Hamad and Hazira ports to allow it to be

offloaded, but permission was not granted. According to X-Press Feeders, the requests were denied as “there were no specialist facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking acid”, and the vessel proceeded on its planned journey to Colombo.

The ship reached Colombo on the night of 19 May and was anchored in the outer harbour awaiting a berth. The ship did not declare an emergency for the cargo acid leak. On 20 May the ship’s agents requested a re-working of the container. Harbour Master Nirmal de Silva said as a maritime hub, Colombo had the expertise to help. The vessel then issued its first report of a fire, which the crew had put out using its on-board system.

It was reported that the ship caught fire on 20 May, 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km; 10.9 mi) northwest of the Colombo Port. The Sri Lanka Navy, along with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, which boarded the ship in order to find out the cause of fire, suspected that the fire might have started as a result of the reaction of chemicals being transported on the ship. During the fire incident, the vessel had a crew of 25 members on board

Though initial reports linked the incident to leaking acid, Harbor Master De Silva said the fire had broken out in the number 2 hold of X-Press Pearl while the container was stacked on deck. A fuller investigation was needed to determine the cause, he said.

On 25 May, a large explosion took place inside the vessel and all 25 crew members were evacuated safely from the vessel. The fire continued to blaze during 25 May, and by late afternoon containers were dropping off the vessel into the sea. The Sri Lanka Maritime Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) declared a Tier II oil spill event from on-board bunkers as the blaze got worse. India dispatched firefighting and pollution control Coast Guard vessels, a tug and a Dornier maritime reconnaissance aircraft to help containment measures, and fishermen were asked to stay clear of the ship.

Chairperson of MEPA Dharshani Lahandapura said on 26 May that 378 tonnes of oil were on board the vessel and about half could leak into the sea after the fire ended. Bad weather prevented the deployment of oil-containment booms around the ship, but authorities were ready to clean up any oil that reached the shore. By morning, burnt debris and some fallen cargo were washing up on Sri Lanka’s Negombo coast. On 29 May, X-Press Pearl was still smouldering and belching smoke, though flames were down. Hull integrity was still intact. Firefighting tugs continued to pour water on the ship. The Sri Lanka Air Force dropped dry chemical powder. The Indian Coast Guard pollution control ship, joined the task force. By the morning of 30 May, the fire was mostly out and water was still being sprayed. X-Press Feeders said salvors were looking at boarding the vessel to set up a tow connection. Salvors boarded the vessel on 1 June for the first inspection. Salvors found the engine room flooded and smoke still coming out from cargo hold 1, 2 and 3 intermittently.

On 2 June 2021, X-Press Feeders issued a statement saying the company “regret[s] to report that despite salvors successfully boarding the vessel and attaching a tow wire, efforts to move the ship to deeper waters have failed”.

The ship remains in 21 metres (69 ft) deep water. Most of it is submerged, and the site is continuously monitored by a dedicated ship.

The goal of the project is focussed on the removal and disposal of the wreck and the clean up of the debris that has been washed onto the shore.

The environmental clean-up is being co-ordinated as an international effort by MEPA and has been an extensive commitment.

It is likely that the project will conclude in late 2022.

More details at:

Between 2008 and 2019, there was an average of 1,382 containers lost at sea each year. Between late 2020 and 2021, the number of containers lost dramatically increased with several larger incidents including ONE APUS, which lost 1,816 containers on November 30, 2020, MAERSK ESSEN, which lost 750 containers on January 16, 2021, MAERSK EINDHOVEN, which lost 260 containers on February 17, 2021, and ZIM KINGSTON which lost 109 containers on October 22, 2021, among others. ZIM KINGSTON is a particularly relevant case because the vessel remained at sea, just off the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, was subjected to storm-related 16-to- 20-foot seas due to port congestion and sustained 35 to 40-knot winds.

Container losses at sea are not a new concept and regulatory and operational preventative measures already exist. These measures, which can be adjusted based on changes in anticipated risk like storm severity, are essential for ship operators to safely stow and secure containerized cargo.

Each vessel has a Trim and Stability booklet that supplies the master with rapid and simple process instructions to

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/x-press-pearl-cleanup-should-be-completedin-four-months

CONTAINER LOSSES CONTINUE

obtain accurate guidance on the stability of the ship. This includes determinations for initial stability, which impact the stiffness or tenderness of the vessel. A stiff vessel tends to right itself in a quick and jerky manner, which can increase transverse accelerations experienced by the containers and stress securing of containers. A tender vessel has a slower roll that provides another form of test for container lashings as cargo is inclined to longer periods. The master must comply with the Trim and Stability Booklet as the first step in the safe carriage of containers.

Container loading, stowage, and securing must be in accordance with a Cargo Securing Manual approved by the relevant classification society. A ship’s Cargo Securing Manual provides guidance as to how cargo is stowed and secured for transit. The Cargo Securing Manual details securing arrangements suitable for the forces expected to affect the containers loaded on the ship. The forces on the containers act longitudinally, transversely, and vertically, and must be calculated based on accelerations anticipated in each direction. Additionally, the accelerations must be based on the ship’s route, voyage details, vessel length, service speed, vessel breadth and metacentric height, the height of the cargo, the force from wind pressure, and force from sea sloshing. The securing of containers typically consists of lashings of wire rope, chain, lashing rods, and tensioners. Stacking of containers makes use of twist-lock locking devices, cones, or other stacking aids.

Modern containerships possess software that can aid the master or chief mate in determining compliance with the Trim and Stability Booklet and Cargo Securing Manual.

Despite the focus on container losses, they continue to occur and are increasing. There are work groups at IMO, the insurance industry, shipping industry and more looking at how to solve the issues.

Climate change is affecting weather systems, there are more extremes in wind strength and sea state, vessels are also getting larger and super containerships are becoming the norm. The largest with a capacity of 23,992 TEUs, is the Ever ACE. It set sail on her maiden voyage in July 2021. This 400-meter long vessel has 24 rows of side-by-side containers having a breadth of 61.53 meters and cruises, under its one engine, at 22 knots.

Are we going in the right direction?

We shall be discussing this further and discussing what industry is doing!

COWNY AND DOUGLAS OFFSHORE PRODUCTION PLATFORMS – PIPELINE SPILL

About 500 barrels of oil (just under 80,000 litres) leaked from a pipe off the North Wales coast in the production field known as Liverpool Bay.

The pipe, which runs between two platforms named Conwy and Douglas, was shut off following the leak and remains closed.

Operator ENI UK said details of what happened about 20 miles (33km) north of Rhyl, Denbighshire, were still being confirmed, but no one was affected.

A number of our members were mobilised to support ENI UK in dealing with the incident. High tides and stormy

weather presented the danger of oil pollution extending further onshore than would otherwise be the case with the potential to impact the North West England and North Wales coasts which contain a host of sensitive and valuable habitats, such as estuaries, salt marshes and dune systems, which could be impacted by oil pollution. Eni UK, relevant authorities and spill response companies continued to monitor the situation for appx

10 days following the incident.

https://www.bbc. co.uk/news/ukwales-60393814

PLASTIC TREATY: WORLD LEADERS AGREE TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO CURB POLLUTION AT UN SUMMIT

The gavel has come down at the UN’s Environment Assembly meeting on a historic new agreement to stem the flow of plastic pollution into nature.

Attendees chose a treaty that will cover the entire lifecycle of plastics, including potential measures to cap production.

The meeting, known as UNEA 5.2, closed on 2 March 22 in Nairobi after more than a week of negotiations between UN member states on topics including naturebased climate solutions, sustainable food systems, green jobs, poverty eradication and preventing pollution. This latter topic has caught many of the headlines around the meeting, as attendees have been tasked with agreeing the broad terms of a new global treaty to slow – and ultimately end – plastic pollution globally. The treaty covers both terrestrial and marine habitats and applies to plastic pollution of all sizes and all sources, from microplastics from textiles and tyres, to nurdles, to abandoned fishing gear.

UN representatives had stated in the run-up to UNEA 5.2, and throughout the proceedings, that the treaty could well be the most important multilateral global environmental agreement since the Paris Agreement was ratified at COP21 in 2015. Attendees had put forward two draft versions of the treaty. One, supported by more than 70 nations, including 27 EU member states, included a requirement to reduce plastic production. The other, tabled by Japan and supported by the likes of the US, China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Palau, did not include this requirement, placing instead a greater focus on scaling recycling and energy-from-waste. Ultimately, attendees agreed on a treaty that is most similar to the first version. The UN has stated covers the full lifecycle of plastic, from source to waste management. A full set of documents is expected to be published by the end of the day.

This decision has been welcomed, given that the UN estimates that plastic production currently stands at 400 million tonnes per year and is set to surpass 800 million tonnes per year without any intervention. UNEA secretary-general Inger Anderson said: “As I told negotiators a few days ago, the world is demanding that we act on plastic pollution. They, the negotiators, have delivered the first step in this process by agreeing to establish an Intergovernmental

Negotiating Committee (INC) that will forge a global agreement on plastic pollution.

This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. But today, here in Nairobi, in the only United Nations Headquarters in the developing world, in the environmental capital of the world, you are taking a crucial step to turn the tide on plastic pollution. This is a historic moment. I congratulate everyone involved for bringing us to this point. But a lot of work lies ahead to deal with the sheer scale of plastic pollution.”

The UN is aiming to complete a finalized treaty by 2024. It has promised that the final treaty will be legally binding. By 2024, more information will be provided on how nations report their plastic production, disposal and pollution. Green groups are urging swift progress, after a recent landmark report from the OECD revealed that global plastic production doubled between 2000 and 2019, with the growth of plastic volumes outpacing economic growth. Within the same timeframe, recycling rates stagnated and the flow of plastics into oceans increased.

More details at: https://www.unep.org/news-andstories/press-release/historic-daycampaign-beat-plastic-pollutionnations-commit-develop