Issue No. 341 03 January 2008

Drugs find
BIMCO reports that a diver attempting to mount drugs on the hull of a vessel was arrested following a police operation in Santa Marta, Colombia. According to reports, on 21 December 2007 the anti-narcotic units of the Colombian National Police apprehended the diver and recovered 72kg of cocaine which was being mounted onto the outside hull of a reefer vessel bound for Antwerp, Belgium.

Reduced draught to the Baltic Sea
Advice from Intertanko notes that recent hydrographical surveys have shown that the depth through the entrances to the Baltic Sea have decreased due to sand migration from 17 metres to 16.5 metres. The IMO MSC. Resolution 138, which recommends vessels with a draught of 11 metres or more take a pilot, will be amended from 1 May 2008 to state that the maximum obtainable depth is 16.5 metres.

EU sulphur directive
Intertanko has reminded its members that according to the provisions originating from European Union (EU) Directives 1999/32/EC and 2005/33/EC relating to the use of marine gas oil (MGO) in EU territory, from 1 January 2008, the MGO used within EU territory should have a maximum sulphur limit of 0.1% by mass. This includes the MGO used by ships in territorial seas and on inland waterways, but excludes use by ships in the territory of Greece, the French Overseas Departments & Territories, Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands. To show compliance ship owners need to ensure that the MGO to be used in EU territories must be accompanied by a bunker delivery note that states it has a sulphur content of 0.1% by mass or less. No changes will be made for DMB and DMC grade marine diesel oil (MDO) from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2009, during which period it is required to have a maximum sulphur limit of 1.5% by mass. Ships using MDO need to ensure that the name of this product and its sulphur content is clearly specified in the bunker delivery note. From 1 January 2010 the provisions of EU Sulphur Directives (1999/32/EC and 2005/33/EC) will require that all types of marine fuel used by ships at berth in EU ports and by inand waterway vessels should have a maximum sulphur content of 0.1%.