Hot Port News from GAC

The light buoy “Victoria”, which was temporarily relocated on 6 June 2016, has been reinstated in its charted position (WGS 84 Datum) in the Southern Fairway as follows:

22 deg. 17.692’N / 114 deg. 08.614’E

(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)

Source: Government of Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.17 of 2017

The new form must be signed and stamped by the ship’s Master along with the existing Pre-arrival tanker checklist.

Non-tanker berths are located in areas that present risks requiring additional measures to provide safety for the whole portand its users for the duration of the tanker’s port stay.

1. The Master must verify that all tanks are in a safe condition 48 hours before the vessel arrives by signing and stamping the declaration. Port entry will not be granted until the tank atmospheres declaration has been approved by the Port Authority of NSW Port Kembla (Port Authority). “Safe condition” is defined for the purpose of this document as having an atmosphere outside the explosive (flammable) envelope.
2. The Port Authority reserves the right to randomly test up to two static tanks (that is, tanks that are not being used for the port call.) at any time during normal operations whilst alongside to verify tank conditions. If tank conditions are not found to be in line with Master’s declaration, the ship may, at the ship’s expense, be instructed to stop cargo immediately, disconnect pipelines, be removed from the berth to sea and an independent surveyor engaged to verify to the Port Authority that all tanks are in a safe condition before re-entry will be considered.
3. Tank condition declaration must be renewed every 24hours or as conditions alter. Any change of status must be advised to the Port Authority immediately.
4. Tank atmospheres in all tanks must be maintained in a safe condition throughout the ship’s stay.
5. Vessels Operating with Inert Gas
   – a vessel’s inert gas system must be operational to ensure a positive inert gas pressure is maintained in the tanks at all times.
   – no maintenance on the inert gas system or associated piping affecting the supply of inert gas is permitted whilst the ship is alongside.
   – oxygen content of the atmosphere in each cargo or slop tank not gas free must be less than 8% by volume and all tanks maintained in a safe condition throughout.
   – if a vessel’s inert gas system is non-operational it must comply with section 1.
6. Port Kembla’s standard Tanker Checklist will be adhered to throughout.

For information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com