VOA Question & Answers

1- How is sea water supplied to the deck seal?

- Ans: Through the deck seal pump fitted in the engine room.
2- Before Entry into cargo tank which has contained a petroleum product?
- Ans: The tank must be tested for sufficient Oxygen.
3- It’s a rule that the inert gas supply valves to the cargo tanks must have provision for?
- Ans: Securing in a closed position.
4- Which of the following is compulsory on ships fitted with inert gas?
- Ans: Notice is to be placed at entrance as required “NO ENTRANCE WITHOUT PERMISSION
OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON (CO).INERT GAS!!!”
5- The main inert gas distribution line on deck is provided with a….?
- Ans: Pressure/vacuum breaker.
6- What is the name of the line which is used to strip the last amounts of cargo ashore?
- Ans: Small diameter line.

7- Which inert gas system use only gases from the ships main or auxiliary boilers?

- Ans: The flue gas plant.

8- The” small diameter line” on a crude oil carrier goes from pump room to?

- Ans: The shore-side of the cargo manifold valves, port &starboard side.

9- What the pumping capacity depending on?

- Ans: Total pressure head.

10- If we reduce the head to appr.75% of normal, what will the power consumption of the pump be?

- Ans: 60%
11- On a flue gas plant, the flue gas enters a washing tower where the gas is washed to remove
soot, ashes & separate undesired gases. What is name of this?
- Ans: Scrubber.
12- What are consequences of a high oxygen content alarm sound during normal operation?
- Ans: The pressure control valve will automatically close, the ventilation valve will open.
13- What is the name of the device used for supervising all the ballast water to be pumped over
board?
- Ans: Oil Detection Monitoring Equipment (ODME).
14- When there are two slop tanks on board, what are the correct names of these slop tanks?
- Ans: Primary & secondary slop tank.
15- On the bottom lines there are cross over valves which make it possible to flow cargo from one
bottom line to another. When loading more than one grade of cargo, what is the requirement
regarding these cross?
- Ans: Two valves segregation.
16- What kind of fixed extinguished plant is installed to use on an oil tanker?
- Ans: CO2 plant.
17 – What is the main quencher for an oil tanker?
- Ans: Foam.
18 – To discharge the last amount of cargo ashore, the stripping pump through the small diameter
line is used. Where does this small diameter line come from in the pump room and where is the
line ending at the manifold?
 - Ans: From stripping pump.
19- How can we maintain necessary NPSH?
- Ans: By control of liquid flow.
20- What types of deck seal units are there?
- Ans: The dry & the wet type.
21- If a vessel is fitted with?
- Ans: A vessel without ordinary bottom lines where the cargo flows from tank to tank through
bulkhead valves.
22- Is slop tanks included in the total cargo capacity?
- Ans: Yes it is.
23- One of the following is NOT an alarm on an inert gas plant, which one?
- Ans: Low Oxygen alarm.
24- The most common valves used on an oil tanker?
- Ans: Gate valves, globe valves & butterfly valves.
25- What is the required diameter of the crude oil washing lines, according to the ship?
- Ans: To maintain the required pressure & flow to the machine in use.
26- Which of these pumps is NOT a positive displacement pump?
- Ans: Centrifugal.
27- What is the purpose of the deck water seal?
- Ans: To prevent combustion gases to flow back & enter the burner.

28- To supervise the pressure conditions in the cargo tanks, a special devise is fitted for this
purpose. What is it called?
- Ans: Pressure/ vacuum valve.
29- According to the regulations in force, one of the following stripping devices is a demand on an
oil tanker. Which one?
- Stripping pump.
30- What is the purpose with an expansion coupling?
- Ans: Make the pipes capable to move back & forth inside the coupling.
31- How is cooling / cleaning water supplied to the inert gas scrubber tower?
- Ans: By the scrubber sea water pump.
32- Which group of basic protection devises are fitted on the scrubber tower’s sea cooling water
supply system?
- Ans: Alarm for high water level, low flow, low water pressure & pump failure.
33- What ensures that no seawater droplets are carried with the inert gas is washed & cooled in
the scrubber tower?
- Ans: The demister units.
34- Inert gas is…….?
- Ans: Lighter than hydrocarbon gases.
35- What are duty officers provided with to check the quality of inert gas?
- Ans: A portable Oxygen analyzer.
36- The master onboard a VLCC of 280.000dwt has received a telex from the cargo terminal
asking if the SBM-mooring are according to the OCIMF standard. What fitting must you have in
order to comply?
- Ans: Two tongues type/hinged bow stoppers with separate closed fairleads. Capacity 200 tons.
37- In an inert gas system audible & visible alarms shall be provided to indicate faulty conditions in
the installation. Which of the following conditions do not activate the alarm? (SOLAS II-2/62.19.1)
- Ans: High pressure in water seal.
38- Which of the following requirement to inert gas system for oil cargo tanks do not correspond to
present regulations? (SOLAS II-2/62.2)
 - Ans: Keep a low pressure in the tanks at all times at sea & in port (periods of gas freeing
excepted)
39- Which of the following requirements to fixed foam system for cargo deck area on tankers do
not correspond to present regulations? (SOLAS II-2/61)
- Ans: Sufficient foam concentrate shall be supplied to ensure at least one hour of foam generation.
-
40- What does ODME mean?
- Ans: Oil Detection Monitoring Equipment.
41- How is the inert gas pressure controlled in the inert gas distribution line & relevant cargo tanks
during discharge?
- By an automatic pressure control system.
42- On oil tanker, the crude oil washing check list states (among other things) that during crude oil
washing operation………..?
- The quality of the inert gas must be frequently checked & recorded.
43- How is the quality & supply of inert gas checked & recorded?
- Using the Oxygen content & IG pressure recorder located in the cargo control room.
44- There is a requirement to maintain an oil record Book in orders that……..?
- An inspection can be made by shore authorities in the event of oil spills or other pollution
accidents.
45- Oil tanker design rules require that petroleum cargo tanks are separated from accommodation
by………..?
- A cofferdam.
46- In the Inert Gas system – what types of Deck Seal units are there?
- The dry & the wet type.
47- What is the advantage of having a steam turbine driven inert gas fan on tanker fitted with an
auxiliary steam plant?
- A steam turbine driven fan creates initial load on the boiler facilities inert gas production.
48- Inert gas blowers are………?
- Turbine type centrifugal blower fans.
49- What is the principle behind producing inert gas on board ship?
- By the combustion of fuel oil to produce exhaust gases with an oxygen content of less than 5%.
50- What is the condition of the inert gas as it is produced by the boilers or inert gas generator?
- Hot & containing soot particles.
51- the correct position for taking a ’bottom” sample is………..?
- From the surface of the tank floor.
52- Inert gas- how can you tell if the demister units in the scrubber tower need to be cleaned?
- By the differential pressure measured by U-tube.
53- Your vessel is loading liquid oil cargo &oil begins to flow out of a tank vent. Your first action
should be……….?
- Carry out emergency stop procedures.
54- Which of the groups contain the three isolating devices fitted between the inert gas bulkhead
valve & the cargo tank valves?
- The non-return valve, the deck seal & the manual discharge valve.
55- How can you be assures that the inert gas analyzer will give the correct reading of the oxygen
content of the inert gas?
- The instrument is calibrated with nitrogen holding 3% oxygen (gray color test bottle)
56- Where is the inert gas tapped which is led to the oxygen analyzer?
- At the inert gas discharge line bulkhead valve.
57- Which type of valves are fitted on the discharge side of the inert gas fan blowers?
- Automatic butterfly valves.
 58- Which type of valves are fitted as suction valves on the inert gas blower fans?
- Manually controlled butterfly valves.
59- How is fresh air supply ensured in cargo tanks via the inert gas supply line?
- By removing the fresh air intake blank on the inert gas fan suction line, ensuring that the boiler
uptake valve is closed.
60- For the purposes of tank cleaning, oily water deposits are discharged into a ………?
- Slop tank.
61- What is most important for the personnel on duty to supervise during a discharging operation
including crude oil washing?
Ans: Act according to the chick list.
62- A CBT-Tanker arrives at loading port in ballast condition. What is today?
Ans: Deballasting & Loading simultaneously.
63- What is the definition of sludge control?
Ans: The cargo tanks are to be washed that often so residues do not accumulate in large
quantities.
64- After you have washed the arrival ballast tanks. What is extremely important to do properly
before arrival ballast is pumped into the arrival ballast tanks?
Ans: To Wash all lines & pumps properly.
65- What is the denomination for API?
Ans: An abbreviation of American Petroleum Institute.
66- Before any portable gas indicators are brought to the measuring spot, what is very important to
do with these analyzers first?

Ans: To do full calibration.

67- What will happen if a centrifugal pump is fitted without a non-return valve on the delivery side?
Ans: it will give full back flow at the time the pump stops.
68- From TOV you withdraw free water, what do you get then?
Ans: GOV (gross observed volume).
69- What is the correct procedure when transferring of oil cargo is necessary?

Ans: Obtain permission from charters & note procedures in oil record book & deck log.

70- Which of these steps (in shut-down procedure) shall be last executed?

Ans: Shut down of inert gas blower.

71- What is the safest way to complete loading (topping off)?

Ans: Have one slack tank as last tank.

72- Why is it important to check ullages frequently during loaded passage?

Ans: Check if any internal or hull leakages.

73- Transportation of oil at sea can be divided in two groups, which?

Ans: Crude oil & refined product.

 74- Why is it important to perform line displacement prior to commence discharge?

Ans: push shore line content to shore tank or compare the ship’s /shore flow measurements.

75- What does it mean if the capacity to a centrifugal pump is given from the manufacturer to be for example
4000M3/hrs at 120mlc?

Ans: 4000m3/hrs at 120 meter liquid column.(delivery head).

76- What is the advantage by using Vacuum-strip-system during COW?

Ans: Enables sludge to be discharged directly to shore tanks.

77- During a ship to ship transfer operation, if an electrical storm enters the area, it is recommended to...?

Ans: Suspend all cargo transfer operation & close vents valves from the cargo system.

78- Why is it necessary to drain all cargo lines to shore after discharge?

Ans: To comply with MARPOL requirements.

79- When is it necessary to run two pumps or more in serial?

Ans: if the back pressure when discharging is so high that one pump is not able to deliver cargo.

80- What is meant by settling in slop handling?

Ans: Separation of Water & Oil.

81- When using ejector for stripping, in what order will you open the valves?

Ans: All valves on the delivery side & adjust the propellant pressure.

82- What is the purpose of introducing inert gas onto each cargo tank?

Ans: To control the tank atmosphere by introducing the required inert gas.

83- To connect the loading/discharging, hoses/arms it is usually necessary to connect a reducer on board to
fit the shore connection. What is the common name to where the reducer is connected on board?

Ans: presentation flange.