Contamination
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Sampling
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Sample without or without surveyors
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Retain for analysis of best possible testing house
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Survey Transhipments
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Seawater Ingress
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Loss prevention/Ship's camera (digital)
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Portable Butterworth machines
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Heating medium of coils
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Svanehoj deepwell pumps (how much left)
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Wash water/stripping pumps
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Pressure test cargo tank
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Cleaning regime
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Dr Verway's Guide
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Stolt-Nielson Commodity Handbook etc
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Cargo Record Book/Oil Record Book
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Chief OfficerÕs tank/hold Cleaning Book
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Declarations to loadport surveyors
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Dr Verway's last cargo service
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Coatings:
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Zinc, epoxy, phenolic epoxy
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Absorption/deabsorption time
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Charterers — misuse of vessels
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Cross Contamination
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Mismanipulation of valve
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Negligence: care of cargo
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Intertank cracking/latent defect
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Hague (Visby)/Hamburg Rules Defences
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Unseaworthy at commencement of voyage
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Bad Science Claims
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Trace contaminations
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Careful use of drafting in charterparty
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The starting point for defeating contamination claims is to ensure that the vessel has good sample storage facilities and sample management regime. Thereafter record samples. To avoid seawater ingress claims the vessels own digital camera to be used for preload timed photos of ullage/sampling hatch covers (closed/open Ð clearly showing seal) or hatch seals as appropriate. Seawater ingress is only acceptable with a heavy weather defence and it has to be proved.
Cross contaminations/intertank leakage will require good maintenance records of tank/pump/line inspections and regular tank pressure test records, a consideration of the heating medium of the heating coils is also necessary.
The largest volume of claims that we see are caused by previous cargo remains. The tank/hold cleaning record (including the Cargo Record Book/Oil Record Book) must be checked against the declaration made to the next load port surveyor.
Coatings, particularly some brands of epoxy have high absorption properties and slow de-absorption times and may be impossible to clean to water-white standard in the time allowed by Charterers and may amount to Charterers misuse of the vessel.
Trace contamination claims (ppb) may simply be based upon bad science.
We can assist in the drafting of the appropriate protection clauses such as commingling clauses, We specialise in defending the innocent shipowner from cargo claims and have an excellent record of success. We have also been successful in recovering substantial amounts from Charterers where they have misused the vessel.
Firstly it is important to emphasise that there is no such thing as a Trade Ullage. If there were it would amount to the Owner having a licence to steal cargo. Secondly, whilst there will be a slight loss of hydrocarbon cargoes due to evaporation on the voyage (light ends only) this should be nominal. Thirdly, with the advent of crude oil washing (COW) there should not be any ROB. In the absence of a fortutity any shortage in bulk liquid cargo is a paper loss. The vast majority of shortages that we handle result from documentary errors, they are primarily overstated bills or based upon improperly calibrated shore tanks at load and disport.
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