CARGO LOSSES

Vessel Loss Control

Vessel Measurements

Whenaddressingsuspectedproblemswithvesselmeasurements,
thefollowingissuesshouldbeconsidered.
Useofnon-calibratedmeasurementequipment.
Weatherandseaconditions.
Capacitytablesmayhavebeenincorrect(i.e.foradifferentgauge
point).
Differencesbetweenmanualandautomatictankgauges(ATG)
measurements.
Trim,listandwedgecorrectionsmaynothavebeencorrectly
applied.
Gaugeheightadjustmentstoallowforretrofittedequipmentsuchas
vaporcontrolvalvesandclosesystemfittingsmaynothavebeen
correctlyapplied.
.

Vessel Measurements

Differentgaugepointsmayhavebeenusedformeasurements.
Unslottedstandpipesmayhavebeenusedformeasurements.
Vessellinefillconditionmayhavebeendifferentatloadand
dischargeport.

Clingage,sludge,sedimentandunmeasuredRetainsOnboard
(ROB)andOnBoardQuantity(OBQ)mayhavebeenpresent.
Vessellinecapacitiesmaynothavebeencorrectlyaccounted
for.
Insufficientnumberoftemperaturereadingsmayhavebeen
takenforstratifiedorheatedcargotanks

Vessel Measurements

VesselcapacitytablesVesselcapacitytablesshouldbe
specifictothevesselandcarrythedatetogetherwithnotesand
correctionsforanystructuralchanges,particularlymodifications
tostandpipesandvaporcontrolvalvefittings.

Calculationsshouldbecheckedtoverifythattrimandlist
correctionshavebeenappliedcorrectly,asthiscanhavea
significantimpactonthemeasuredquantities.Ideallyavessel
shouldcompleteloadingasclosetoevenkeelanduprightas
possibletoreduceerrorsingauging.

Wedge formula
Anequationrelatingthevolumeofliquidmaterialina
ship's tanktothedip,ship'strim,dippingpointlocation
andthetank'sdimensionswhentheship'scalibration
tablescannotbeapplied.Toderivetheequation,
assumptionshavetobemade.Themajorassumption
inthederivationisthatthematerialisfreeflowingand
willaccumulateintheaftendofatankwhentheshipis
trimmedbythestern.Thewedgeformulaistobeused
onlywhentheliquiddoesnottouchallbulkheadsof
thevesselstanks.

VESSEL EXPERIENCE FACTOR

WHAT is a VEFit is an abbreviation for Vessel Experience Factor

as defined in the API
ManualofPetroleumMeasurementStandardsChapter17.9.AVEFisa
ratioofaship-to-shore
quantitiesoriginallyconceivedasalosscontroltool.VEFsare
calculatedforbothLoad(LVEF)andDischarge(DVEF).Whenagreedto
byinterestedparties,VEFsmayalsobeusedto
determinecustodytransferquantitieswhenshore-basedmeasurements
arenotavailableorareknowntobeinadequateforcustodytransfer
WHEN not to apply a VEF. Chapter 17.9 describes some
circumstances when a VEF is
invalidsuchasthemaidenvoyageandafterstructuralchangeshave
beenmadetoshipstanks,andifashipisde-sludgedduringdrydock.

VESSEL EXPERIENCE FACTOR

WHY apply a VEF A VEF should be calculated for each

voyage and used for its original
conceptasalosscontroltooltonoteiftheship-to-shorenumbers
makesenseandbeincluded
intheVoyageAnalysisReport(VAR).
Intheeventthattheshorenumberscannotberelieduponand
provideditisagreedtobythe
commercialpartiesinvolved,thenthevesselloadedordelivered
quantitiesadjustedbythevalid
VEFcanbeusedtodeterminetheBillofLadingortheOutturn.
Thiscouldbeforseveralreasons:.1.Activeshoretanks.
2.Non-functioningmeters.
3.Inadvertentproductmovements.
4.Contractualmeasurementclausesashorenotmet.

Transit differences

Transitdifferencesarenormaltomostmarinemovementsand
resultfromeitheraphysicalgainorlossduringthevoyageor
discrepanciesinmeasurements.Measurementdifferencesmay
beduetotheuseofdifferentmeasurementequipmentusedat
loadand/ordischargeports.Thiscanincludeinspector
equipment,vesselequipmentandvesselsATGs.
AcomparisonofthevesselsdepartureTotalCalculatedVolume
(TCV)anditsarrivalTCVwillgiveanindicationoftransitcargo
variation.ThemeasurementswhichmakeuptheTCV(Gross
StandardVolumeandFreeWater)shouldbereviewed
individually.

TRANSIT GAIN

Materialpumpedfromengineroombilgesintoslop
tanks.
Heatingcoilsleakingintocargotanks
Displacementintocargotanksofothermaterials,
whichwerereceived/dischargedbetweenthetime
whencargoloadanddischargemeasurementsare
made,e.g.,bunkers,slops,andotherparcels.
Introductionofwatertocargotanks.
Measurementinaccuracyduetovesselmotionand/or
equipmentlimitations

TRANSIT LOSSES

Vaporlosses.
Leaks.
External-cargothatescapesfromvesseltanktothesea.
Internal-cargothatescapestoothercargotanksorinto
voids,cofferdams,sloptanks,ballasttanks,orothernondesignatedareasbutisnotdiscovered.
Unreportedcargodiversion,orcargoburnedasfuel.
Transferordecantingoffreewaterfromslopordirtyballast
tanksduringvoyage.
Caution should be exercised when recording transit variations
since such variances may or may not have any bearing on the
overall gain or loss.

TRANSIT LOSSES

Examples:

Alargetransitloss,withnocorrespondingdifferencebetweenVEF
adjustedvesselvolumesversusoutturnatdischarge,mightindicatea
physicallossduringthevoyage.

Alargetransitgain,withalargevessel/shoredifferenceattheload
portandminimaldifferencesnotedatdischarge,mightindicatevessel
measurementerrorscausedbygauginginrollingseas,theuseof
differentcalibrationtablesateachport,orachangeinthereference
gaugepoint.

Evaporativelosses

On Board Quantity (OBQ) and

Retains On Board (ROB):

AdifferenceinOBQandROBquantitiesmaybeexpectedasa
resultofunmeasuredROBorClingagewhichmaylatersettleto
thebottomofthetanksandthenbecomemeasureableasOBQ
forthenextvoyage.ROBclingagewhichdoesnotsettlecan
resultinshoretoshipcargogainsatnextloadport.Thepractice
ofloadingontopofretainedoilyresidues(slops)andthe
implementationofenhancedcargorecoverytechniques,such
ascrudeoilwashing(COW),haveamarkedeffectonthe
differencesinthesevolumes.
TypicalROBquantitieshavebeenconsiderablyreducedsince
theintroductionofdoublehulledvessels.Largequantitiesof
cargoremaininginthetanksmaysuggestpoorprocedureor
problemswithvesselsequipment.

Liquidcalculationsshouldbecheckedtoensurethatthewedge
formulahasbeenappliedcorrectlywhereappropriate.

On Board Quantity (OBQ) and

Retains On Board (ROB):

Liquidcalculationsshouldbecheckedtoensurethatthewedge
formulahasbeenappliedcorrectlywhereappropriate.
WhilemeasuredROBdoesnotrepresentameasurementlossit
maybeareallosstothereceivingterminal.HighROB
(measuredandunmeasured)canbeduetoinadequateheating
onthevessel,possiblycoupledwithlowtemperatureat
discharge.
Ifcargoheatinghasbeenspecifiedandaproblemissuspected,
heatingrecordsshouldbeobtainedfromthevessel.These
shouldindicatewhethercharterpartyrequirementshavebeen
followed

On Board Quantity (OBQ) and

Retains On Board (ROB):

Ifthecargohasnotbeencorrectlyheated,waxmaybe
depositedonthetankfloorandsides,increasingmeasuredand
unmeasuredROB.HeatedcargoescansufferfromhighROBif
thecargohasnotbeendischargedquicklyoncebelowthelevel
ofheatingcoils.
ExcessROBinonetankmayindicatethestrippingwastoslow
orthatstoppageshaveoccurred,allowingheavycargotobegin
tosolidify.TimelogsandanyLettersofProtestshouldbe
reviewed.
Thephysicalcharacteristicsoftheproductandtheabilityofthe
vesseltopumpitarefactorsaffectingROB.Problemscanresult
fromcargovaporizinginthepumps(airlock)andlossofsuction
duringfinalstripping.Trimand/orlistmaypreventthefreeflow
ofproducttothesuctionpoint.

UNDETECTED ROB

UndetectedROBistheresultofcargothatremainsclingingtothe
bulkheads(Clingage)orinunmeasurableareasofvessel
compartments.
Clingagevariesdependingonthephysicalcharacteristicsofthecargo
andtheconditionsunderwhichthedischargeisperformed.Italsocan
varydependinguponthetypeofvessel,thenumberoftanks,andtank
condition.AnyquantificationoflossduetoClingagecanonlybea
subjectivedetermination,butitisanidentifiablereasonforcargoloss.
WhileClingagecannotbemeasuredforthevoyageinquestion,itmay
beestimatedforsimilarcargotypeandvoyageconditionsbyusingone
oftwomethods.
ROBversussubsequentvoyageOBQ(excludingwaterintroducedin
cargo/sloptanksfortankwashingonballastvoyage).
Loadontopmonitoringreportcalculation.
Note:Clingage may be recoverable through COW or tank cleaning on a
subsequent voyage.

CRUDE OIL WASHING

Crudeoilwashing(COW)operationscanreducethecargo
volumesretainedonboardafterdischarge.AlthoughCOWisa
usefultechniquetoimprovecargodischarge,itseffectivenessis
dependentonmanyfactorsincludingthenatureofthecargo,
theefficiencyofequipment,thenumberoftanksbeingwashed,
andtheambientairandseatemperaturesduringdischarge.
AthoroughCOWmayreduceROBtolessthantheOBQ.
However,COWmaycauseadditionalcargolosseswithvolatile
cargoesduetothevaporgenerated.Incoldweather,useof
highpourorviscouscargoesforCOWmayincreaseratherthan
decreaseclingage.

WATER DETERMINATION

Differencesinthefreewater(FW)quantitycouldbeduetothe
following.
Introductionofwaterintothecargofromvesselpipelines,inertgas
system,cargoheatingsystem,loading/dischargelines(particularly
undersealinesorfloatinghoses),orshorelinesduringtheloading
ordischargeoperations.Waterintheshorelinebetweenan
automaticsamplerandthevesselonloadingmaynothavebeen
accountedfor.
MixingofFWwithcargoasitispumped.ThiswillreducetheFW
volumewhileincreasingtheS&Wvolume.
SettlingoutofS&WwhichwillincreasetheFWcontentatthe
dischargeport,comparedtotheloadport.
Insufficienttimeallowedforwatertosettle.

WATER DETERMINATION

Differentmeasurementmethods,e.g.separateS&WandFW
measurementsversustotalS&Wofhomogenizedsamplesfrom
anin-linesampler.
DifferentmethodsofdetectingFW,e.g.waterpasteversus
electronicinterfacedetector,especiallyforcrudeoilscontaining
emulsifiedwater.Useofdifferentorimproperwaterpaste.
FWvolumesonthevesselnotproperlycorrectedforwedgeor
trimconditionsDifferentseaconditionswhenmeasuringtheFW
onthevesselattheloadportanddischargeport,e.g.rough
seasversuscalmseas.
Changesintrimand/orlistfromloadingporttodischargeport.
DependingongaugepointlocationsawedgeofFWmaynotbe
detectedundercertainconditions.
vesselscargotanksorlines.

WATER DETERMINATION

TankbottomdeformationorsedimentintanksaffectingFW
measurements.

Thedatumplateheightabovethetankbottompreventing
measurementofwaterbelowthedatumplate.Thisisa
particularproblemwithconebottomtankswheregaugingpoints
aretypicallyoffsettoonesideofthetank.
Shutdownormalfunctionoftheautomaticsamplerduringapart
oftheloadingordischargeorimpropercleaningandoperation.
Ballastwaterenteringthe

Sediment and Water (S&W):

AdifferencebetweenreportedS&Watloadportand
dischargeportwillgiveashoretoshoreNSVgainor
loss,unlessthisisassociatedwithasimilarchange
inFW.
InconsistentS&Wresultscanoccurforanyofthe
followingreasons.
Thenon-homogeneityofproductmayresultin
samplesthatcontainmoreorlesswaterthanthe
wholecargo.