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20-Jan-2016
20-Jan-2016
| DECK COOLING DURING TRANSIT Panama Canal, Panama |
| COAL TERMINAL BREAK-DOWN Port Kembla, Australia |
| Deck cooling during transit |
| Wednesday, January 20, 2016, Panama Canal, Panama |
Effective immediately, and until further notice, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will require transiting crude oil tankers, product carrier, and chemical tankers carrying cargoes with flashpoint of less than 18 deg. C, to cool their main decks with water by means of the on-deck water sprinkler system or any other means available in order to prevent automatic activation of their pressure relief valves during transit.The cooling of the main deck shall be performed between 1000 and 1600 hours while the vessel is underway at Gatun Lake or Gaillard Cut, or at anchor in Canal waters. However, this procedure should be stopped while the vessel is transiting through the locks or is in the vicinity of the locks, and when Canal deckhands are on board.If this procedure fails to prevent automatic activation of pressure relief valves, it may be necessary to reduce the pressure by manually opening pressure relief valves. This shall be done only after the Master has ascertained the following:
Compliance with measures described above will enhance the safety of Canal operations, as well as Canal customers, and reduce or eliminate possible disruptions in transit scheduling. (For information about operations in Panama, contact GAC-Wilford & McKay at gac-wilfordmckay.panama@gac. Source: Panama Canal Authority Advisory to Shipping No.A-02-2016 dated 18 January 2016 |
| Coal Terminal break-down |
| Wednesday, January 20, 2016, Port Kembla, Australia |
| There has been a major break-down shore-side at Port Kembla Coal Terminal.Reclaimers are currently out of order and present indications are that there will a 1-2 day delay to the shipping programme.For information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com |
