UNITED SURVEYS CHILE

Marine & Cargo Surveyors – Quality Control Service

www.unitedsurveychile.com
operaciones@unitedsurveyschile.com |Phone +56-55-2560490 |Direct 24/7 +56 9 93233396 - +56 9 54135955

REPORT 2009146 PLACE Punta Chungo Port, Chile

SUBJECT Loading of Copper Concentrates DATE September 28th, 2020

To the Master of
MV PACIFIC ACHIEVEMENT

Dear Master,

About to the cargo informed as of Copper concentrate, we may advise:

Metal sulphide concentrates, which include this cargo, are shipped in the form of a finely-divided
cohesive sand-like material with significant inherent moisture content. These cargoes are very
dense, with a typical stowage factor between 0.3 and 0.6 m³/MT.

The properties and associated hazards are different for every mining location, even for cargoes
with the same description, and it is therefore essential to obtain comprehensive certification from
shippers, as discussed below.

The most important aspect to be considered during ocean carriage is that these cargoes may
spontaneously liquefy during the voyage if they are loaded with excessive inherent moisture
content. If such liquefaction occurs, the cargo behaves like a very dense liquid and the stability of
the carrying vessel is severely compromised through the resulting free-surface effect.

In order to reduce the risk of liquefaction, the IMSBC Code has implemented a system of pre-
shipment testing and certification for these cargoes (an incomplete list of such cargoes forms
Appendix A of the IMSBC Code). We strongly recommend that you should read the full text of
Sections 4, 7 and 8 of the IMSBC Code prior to loading.

The critical moisture content above which there is a danger of liquefaction, the so-called Flow
Moisture Point (FMP), can be determined in a laboratory. The main aim of the IMO
recommendations is to ensure that the cargo to be loaded has an average moisture content that is
below the so-called Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) of the cargo. The TML is the 90% of the
FMP, the difference being intended as a safety margin. For example, if the FMP has been
determined to be 12%, then the cargo lo be loaded must have an average moisture content below
the corresponding TML of 10.8%.

We summarize the IMSBC Code recommendations below:

Certificates to be issued by Shippers

According to the IMO recommendations, certificates documenting the following parameters
should be issued by shippers. Loading should not be allowed to commence until the certificates
have been received by the Master. Cargoes that are of a dry and granular appearance may still
have excessive moisture content and therefore a visual inspection cannot under any
circumstances replace the need for appropriate certificates to be issued by shippers.

1
In accepting this survey it is agreed that extent of the obligation of this company with respect there to is limited to furnishing a surveyor believed to the competent and in the making of this
inspection the surveyor is acting impartially and to the best of his ability and no liability shall attach to the company or the surveyor for the accuracy there off. Our responsibility can never exceed
the amount of our fees.
 United Ref. Nr: US-ANF-1909186

Transportable Moisture Limit (TML): Shippers should certify the TML of the material to be loaded.
Ideally, this certification should be supported by a copy of an actual laboratory test certificate,
giving measured values of FMP and/or the TML calculated from it. The certificate of test should be
less than six months old and shippers must not have altered their production procedures or the
product composition since the test date.

Actual moisture content of the cargo to be loaded: Shippers should sample the actual cargo to be
loaded as near as possible to the time of loading and certify the average moisture content of these
samples. The delay between sampling and loading should not be longer than seven days. It is not
sufficient for shippers to give a typical moisture content for previous cargoes; sampling needs to
be carried out on the actual cargo to be loaded. The Master should not allow loading to
commence unless the certified moisture content is less than the certified TML.

Statement regarding chemical hazards: Some concentrate cargoes, including Copper concentrate
from some mining locations, present additional hazards of chemical self-heating, with the
possibility of the emission of toxic gases, and/or of corrosion of adjacent steel structures (see the
“Metal Sulphide Concentrates” entry in Appendix B of the IMSBC Code). Although this is not the
case of Copper concentrate, shippers should state whether or not the specific cargo to be loaded is
known to be prone to spontaneous heating or oxidation or cause corrosion of steel structures.

Please note that there are specialized ore carriers and other vessels that are specifically designed
and approved for the carriage of ore cargoes regardless of their moisture content and the above
does not apply to such vessels.

The Master should be alert to the following:

• If the cargo presented for loading is of muddy appearance, has water puddles standing on
it or has water running out of the base of a stockpile, the Master or the attending surveyor should
carry out the ad-hoc test described on page 39, by. 8.3, of the IMSBC Code (the so-called “can
test”) If that test shows free moisture or a fluid behavior of the sample, we recommend that joint
sampling and joint laboratory tests to verify the certified moisture content and TML of the
material should be arranged with shippers.

• After completion of loading, the cargo surface should be trimmed as leveled as practicable.
Some concentrate cargoes have developed dangerous wet bases when trimmed insufficiently
level.

• The Master should notify Owners and/or the Club if water puddles appear on the cargo
surface or boundaries or if significant amounts of water drain from the cargo into the bilges at any
time during the voyage.

We hope the above meets your present requirements. Although the potential hazards associated
with this type of cargo and the scope of the IMO recommendations may seem daunting, we would

2
In accepting this survey it is agreed that extent of the obligation of this company with respect there to is limited to furnishing a surveyor believed to the competent and in the making of this
inspection the surveyor is acting impartially and to the best of his ability and no liability shall attach to the company or the surveyor for the accuracy there off. Our responsibility can never exceed
the amount of our fees.
 United Ref. Nr: US-ANF-1909186

like to emphasize that large volumes of these cargoes are carried regularly and safely without
incident and that there is no reason to expect any difficulties, as long as shippers and the Master
comply closely with the IMO requirements.

Kind regards

UNITED SURVEYS CHILE

VESSEL’S MASTER

3
In accepting this survey it is agreed that extent of the obligation of this company with respect there to is limited to furnishing a surveyor believed to the competent and in the making of this
inspection the surveyor is acting impartially and to the best of his ability and no liability shall attach to the company or the surveyor for the accuracy there off. Our responsibility can never exceed
the amount of our fees.