When bunkering in darkness, ensure the hose is well lit and visible along its entire length. The Nautical Institute gives this warning in its latest Mars Report, in which a leak in a hose resulted in a minor spill during bunkering operations.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars (Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme) Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. This is one of these reports.
A tanker had berthed for discharge operations and had also ordered bunkers. A bunker barge arrived at about 2:15 in the morning and was secured on the port side of the tanker. The bunker hose, supplied by the bunker barge, was connected to the tanker’s bunker manifold and surveyed to the extent possible by the tanker crew. Everything appeared correct and bunkering commenced with an initial rate of 40 tonnes/hr.
The bunkering station reported normal operations and no leaks so the rate was gradually increased to 180 tonnes/hr. Soon after the rate increase, a minor leak was observed in the hose and the bunkering was stopped. A small quantity of oil had spread on deck and was cleaned. No oil was seen to be released into the sea.
The bunker hose had apparently been tested under pressure four months earlier but was now clearly less than adequate for the job.
Also read: Bad hose blanking practice results in oil spill
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Visual inspection of a bunker hose before use is necessary, but cannot guarantee the integrity of the hose under full operating pressure.
- Vigilance at the bunkering station is a primary defence against pollution. When bunkering in darkness, ensure the hose is well lit and visible along its entire length.
Also read: Van Oord dredger hits bunker vessel causing oil spill
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202436, that are part of Report Number 381. A selection of the Mars Reports are also published in the SWZ|Maritime magazine. The Nautical Institute compiles these reports to help prevent maritime accidents. That is why they are also published (in full) on SWZ|Maritime’s website.
More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the Mars coordinator and are treated in the strictest confidence. To submit a report, please use the Mars report form.
Also read: Oil spill in Sweden after ferry grounds, Smit called in for salvage
