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Amendments to the MARPOL Convention to prevent pollution during ship-to-ship oil transfer operations were adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) when it met for its 59th session from 13 to 17 July 2009, at the IMO Headquarters in London.

MARPOL amendments - transfer of oil cargo between oil tankers at sea

The MEPC adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex I for the prevention of marine pollution during some ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operations. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2011.

The new chapter 8 on Prevention of pollution during transfer of oil cargo between oil tankers at sea will apply to oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage and above and will require any oil tanker involved in oil cargo STS operations to have, on board, a plan prescribing how to conduct STS operations (the STS Plan), which would be approved by its Administration.

Notification to the relevant coastal State will be required not less than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled STS operations although some relaxation to this rule is allowed in certain, very specific, cases. The regulations are not intended to apply to bunkering operations.

Consequential amendments to the International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate, the Supplement to the IOPP Certificate and the Oil Record Book were also adopted.

Oil residue (sludge) MARPOL amendments

Amendments to MARPOL Annex I regulations 1, 12, 13, 17 and 38, relating to the on board management of oil residue (sludge), were also adopted. The amendments clarify long standing requirements and remove existing ambiguities in order to facilitate compliance by ships' crews. Definitions for oil residue (sludge), oil residue (sludge) tanks, oily bilge water and oily bilge water holding tanks are introduced for the first time.

Related amendments to the Supplement to the IOPP Certificate, Form A and Form B, and to the Oil Record Book were also adopted. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2011.