Middle East

Skuld warns on UAE bunkering problems

Dubai: Scandinavian insurance firm Skuld has warned its members of a a recent series of incidents at certain ports in the UAE where oil spills / pollution have taken place.

“The recurring feature of these incidents has been that they have occurred while vessels were at berth and receiving bunkers from shore side road tankers,” said Christian Ott, vice president and head of claims for Skuld in Singapore.
Information available indicates that the occurrence of these spills coincided with the disconnecting of bunker hoses from manifolds. That would indicate that insufficient care and attention was paid to the concluding phase of the bunkering operation and perhaps were carried out in a hurry.

Consequent to these incidents were the levying of fines on both vessel as well as bunker supplier, irrespective of where fault may ultimately have been found for the incident. Fines of $40,000 or more are not uncommon, but much higher fines can be imposed at the discretion of the port authorities.

“Members should proceed with caution when conducting bunkering operations and ensure that they are properly supervised, and conducted carefully, until their full conclusion,” Ott advised.  [25/04/13]

Splash

Splash is Asia Shipping Media’s flagship title offering timely, informed and global news from the maritime industry 24/7.
Back to top button