Bunkering Spill with Terminal Schedule Pressure
At 06:50 during bunkering at berth, the chief engineer sees an oil sheen around the starboard bunker manifold. About 180 m³ of VLSFO has been transferred at 220 m³/h. The deck scupper plugs were removed at 06:30 to drain rain water. The spill is estimated at 0.4 m³ and is spreading between the manifold and No.2 hatch. The port has an oil spill response contractor but no permanent boom. The vessel's SOPEP locker contains 200 m of absorbent boom, 2 m³ of sawdust, and six portable pumps. The tide is ebbing at 1.2 knots, wind is 10 knots from the port side, and the terminal wants to complete bunkering before the berth window closes at 08:00. The bunker barge manifold has a drip tray, and the vessel's Oil Record Book Part I is up to date.
1. What immediate spill response do you order, and do you continue bunkering?
Read the worked answer
Stop the transfer first. Close the ship's manifold valve, signal the barge to stop pumping, and relieve the line pressure safely. Do not continue bunkering to meet the berth window. Plug or reinstall the deck scupper plugs immediately and place absorbent boom around the manifold and scuppers to prevent oil reaching the water. Deploy sawdust and absorbent pads on deck, use portable pumps only for recovered liquid, and avoid washing the spill overboard with water. Notify the terminal and port authority, and request the oil spill response contractor. Keep the crew clear of the spill and eliminate ignition sources. Once the source is controlled and the deck is contained, the chief engineer and master can decide on clean-up and whether any transfer may resume; completion of the bunker is secondary to containment and reporting.
2. What notifications and records are required?
Read the worked answer
Notify the master, terminal supervisor, port authority/harbour master, company designated person ashore, and the oil spill response contractor. If the spill threatens the water, make the required MARPOL/SOPEP report with time, location, product, estimated quantity, cause, action taken, and weather/tide. Record the transfer start, stop time, quantity transferred, manifold pressure, scupper status, and clean-up actions. Make an Oil Record Book Part I entry for the bunkering operation and note the incident in the appropriate log and SMS report; the ORB is not a substitute for the spill report. Preserve the bunkering checklist, barge documents, and samples. Do not wait for the terminal to decide reporting; the master has the legal and environmental duty to report without delay.
3. How do you investigate and prevent recurrence?
Read the worked answer
Treat the removed scupper plugs as the immediate root cause and the loss of manifold containment as the barrier failure. Interview the crew who removed the plugs, check the bunkering checklist and permit, and verify that the manifold drip tray, save-all, and scuppers were in the correct spill-ready condition before transfer. Review watch arrangements, communication with the barge, and the decision to drain rainwater during bunkering. Corrective actions should include a pre-transfer scupper verification, positive control of deck drains, a briefing for all watchkeepers, and a drill on manifold leaks. Record the investigation and corrective actions in the SMS. The judgement point is that a small spill is still a reportable pollution incident; schedule and terminal pressure never justify delaying containment or reporting.