Tanker Spills


Book Description

Can we design an oil tanker that meets our complex demands for environmental protection, economical operation, and crew safety? This volume evaluates and ranks a wide variety of tank ship hull designs proposed by experts around the world. Based on extensive research and studies, the book explores the implications of our rising demand for petroleum and increase in tanker operations; U.S. government regulations and U.S. Coast Guard policies regarding designs for new tank vessel construction; how new ship design would affect crew safety, maintenance, inspection, and other technical issues; the prospects for retrofitting existing tankers to reduce the risk of oil spills; and more. The conclusions and recommendations will be particularly important to maritime safety regulators in the United States and abroad; naval architects; ship operators and engineers; and officials in the petroleum, shipping, and marine insurance industries.







Double-Hull Tanker Legislation


Book Description

The passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) by Congress and subsequent modifications of international maritime regulations resulted in a far-reaching change in the design of tank vessels. Double-hull rather than single-hull tankers are now the industry standard, and nearly all ships in the world maritime oil transportation fleet are expected to have double hulls by about 2020. This book assesses the impact of the double hull and related provisions of OPA 90 on ship safety, protection of the marine environment, and the economic viability and operational makeup of the maritime oil transportation industry. The influence of international conventions on tank vessel design and operation is addressed. Owners and operators of domestic and international tank vessel fleets, shipyard operators, marine architects, classification societies, environmentalists, and state and federal regulators will find this book useful.




Environmental Performance of Tanker Designs in Collision and Grounding


Book Description

TRB Special Report 259 - Environmental Performance of Tanker Designs in Collision and Grounding: Method for Comparison describes a modeling process for evaluating alternative designs. The process encompasses consideration of the structural deformations from collisions and grounding and the environmental consequences of spills of different sizes, and uses a riskbased approach for comparing designs. Since passage of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 and subsequent decisions of the International Maritime Organization, the world tanker fleet has been evolving to double-hulled designs to reduce the risk of accidental spills. A previous study by the Marine Board, now part of TRB, concluded that the double-hull design had been effective in reducing oil spills (Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, NRC 1998). OPA 1990 was passed because of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. Although the world’s tanker owners have been shifting to double-hull designs, a variety of other hull designs have been proposed that might be as effective and less costly. The U.S. Coast Guard has not been willing to consider such alternatives, in part because of the wording of OPA 1990 and in part because of the difficulty of comparing complex designs.




Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment


Book Description

U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment? Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment reviews the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region north of the Bering Strait, with emphasis on the potential impacts in U.S. waters. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the Arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. According to Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment, a full range of proven oil spill response technologies is needed in order to minimize the impacts on people and sensitive ecosystems. This report identifies key oil spill research priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational and logistical issues. The Arctic acts as an integrating, regulating, and mediating component of the physical, atmospheric and cryospheric systems that govern life on Earth. Not only does the Arctic serve as regulator of many of the Earth's large-scale systems and processes, but it is also an area where choices made have substantial impact on life and choices everywhere on planet Earth. This report's recommendations will assist environmentalists, industry, state and local policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of this special region to preserve and protect it from damaging oil spills.




Oil Transportation by Tankers


Book Description

Examines the safety problems of oil tankers which could threaten the ecology and quality of the oceans and coastal areas.




Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering


Book Description

The safety record of lightering (the transfer of petroleum cargo at sea from a large tanker to smaller ones) has been excellent in U.S. waters in recent years, as evidenced by the very low rate of spillage of oil both in absolute terms and compared with all other tanker-related accidental spills. The lightering safety record is likely to be maintained or even improved in the future as overall quality improvements in the shipping industry are implemented. Risks can be reduced even further through measures that enhance sound lightering standards and practices, support cooperative industry efforts to maintain safety, and increase the availability of essential information to shipping companies and mariners. Only continued vigilance and attention to safety initiatives can avert serious accidents involving tankers carrying large volumes of oil.







Oil in the Sea III


Book Description

Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.




Ultimate Limit State Design of Steel-Plated Structures


Book Description

Steel plated structures are important in a variety of marine and land-based applications, including ships, offshore platforms, power and chemical plants, box girder bridges and box girder cranes. The basic strength members in steel plated structures include support members (such as stiffeners and plate girders), plates, stiffened panels/grillages and box girders. During their lifetime, the structures constructed using these members are subjected to various types of loading which is for the most part operational, but may in some cases be extreme or even accidental. Ultimate Limit State Design of Steel Plated Structures reviews and describes both fundamentals and practical design procedures in this field. The derivation of the basic mathematical expressions is presented together with a thorough discussion of the assumptions and the validity of the underlying expressions and solution methods. Particularly valuable coverage in the book includes: * Serviceability and the ultimate limit state design of steel structural systems and their components * The progressive collapse and the design of damage tolerant structures in the context of marine accidents * Age related structural degradation such as corrosion and fatigue cracks Furthermore, this book is also an easily accessed design tool which facilitates learning by applying the concepts of the limit states for practice using a set of computer programs which can be downloaded. In addition, expert guidance on mechanical model test results as well as nonlinear finite element solutions, sophisticated design methodologies useful for practitioners in industries or research institutions, selected methods for accurate and efficient analyses of nonlinear behavior of steel plated structures both up to and after the ultimate strength is reached, is provided. Designed as both a textbook and a handy reference, the book is well suited to teachers and university students who are approaching the limit state design technology of steel plated structures for the first time. The book also meets the needs of structural designers or researchers who are involved in civil, marine and mechanical engineering as well as offshore engineering and naval architecture.