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{{Infobox vessel type
[[Image:Knock Nevis.jpg|thumb|250px|The ''[[Knock Nevis]]''. Formerly known as the ''Seawise Giant'' and later renamed as the ''Jahre Viking,'' it was the largest ship in the world. It has now been converted into a floating oil storage terminal.]]
| name = Petroleum tanker
| photo = Knock Nevis.jpg
| photo legend = The ''[[Knock Nevis]]'', formerly the world's largest ship, has been converted to an oil storage terminal.
| type = [[Cargo ship]]
| epoch = ~1863–present
| location = Worldwide
| number = 4,024 (above 10,000 [[Tonnage#Weight-based systems|DWT]]).<ref name="s6">Office of Data and Economic Analysis, 2006:6.</ref>
| sub-types = Naval oiler
| classes = [[Handymax]], [[Handysize]], [[Panamax]], [[Capesize]]
| size = 10 - 650,000 DWT
| propulsion =
| materials = steel
| other characteristics = rear house, full hull, midships pipeline
| plan = Evolution_of_a_Giant.jpg
| plan legend = Evolution of oil tankers from 1886 to 1977.
}}


'''Petroleum tankers''', also known as '''oil tankers''', '''tankers''', or '''oilers''', are ships of varying sizes designed for the bulk transport of [[petroleum]]. The largest are up to 650,000 tons. Since the creation of the first oil tanker back in 1878, crude oil has normally been transported by ship from near the point of extraction closer to consuming markets where the crude oil is then refined into a variety of products or materials used in further manufacture. Tankers can roughly be divided into two types - naval and merchant - and these can be divided into further subtypes.
'''Oil tankers''', also known as '''petroleum tankers''', or '''tankers''' are [[merchant ship|ships]] designed for the bulk transport of [[oil]]. There are two basic types of oil tanker: the crude tanker and the product tanker.<ref name="hay2"/> Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined [[crude oil]] from its point of extraction to refineries.<ref name="hay2"/> Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move [[petrochemicals]] from refineries to points near consuming markets.

Some specialized types of oil tankers have evolved. One of these is the naval '''oiler,''' a tanker which can [[underway replenishment|fuel a moving vessel]]. Another specialized design is the [[Ore-bulk-oil carrier]] which combines aspects of tankers and [[Bulk carrier|dry bulk carriers]].

Oil tankers are often classified by their size as well as their occupation. The size classes range from inland or coastal tankers of a few thousand tons to the mammoth '''supertankers''' of 650,000 tons.

Oil tankers have been involved in a number of damaging and high-profile [[oil spill]]s. As a result, they are subject to stringent design and operational regulations.


==History==
==History==
[[Image:Fallsofclydehonolulu.jpg|thumb|right|The ''[[Falls of Clyde]]'' is the oldest surviving American tanker and the world's only surviving sail-driven oil tanker.<ref name="foc">{{cite web |url= http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/nhl/falls.htm |title=Falls of Clyde National Historic Landmark Study |accessdate=2008-02-24 |author= Delgado, James |date=1988 |work=Maritime Heritage Program |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>]] The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry. Although man's use of oil reaches to prehistory, the first modern commercial exploitation dates back to [[James Young]]'s manufacture of parafin in 1850.<ref name="ebpetro316">Chisholm, 19:316.</ref> In these early days, oil from [[Upper Burma]] was moved in earthenware vessels to the river bank where it was then poured into boat holds.<ref name="ebpetro320">Chisholm, 19:320.</ref> In the 1850s, the [[Pennsylvania]] oil fields became a major supplier of oil, and a center of innovation.<ref name="ebpetro320"/> Break-bulk boats and barges were originally used to transport Pennsylvania oil in 40-gallon wooden barrels.<ref name="ebpetro320"/> The idea of moving bulk oil in specially-constructed tanks evolved quickly on America's railways, with modern-style cylindrical tank-cars emerging in 1871.<ref name="ebpetro320"/>
[[Image:Evolution_of_a_Giant.jpg|Evolution of petroleum tankers from the Gluckauf, 1886, to the Esso Atlantic, 1977.|thumb|300px]]
The first successful oil tanker was the ''Zoroaster'', which plied the [[Caspian Sea]] from the [[Apsheron Peninsula]], near [[Baku]], in what was then the [[Russian Empire]], in 1878. [[Ludwig Nobel]], brother of [[Alfred Nobel]], was the first to conceive of an oil tanker. Ludwig Nobel's idea owed to the problems and costs of shipping oil in wooden barrels. He thought to ship oil in bulk tanks and the oil tanker was created. The original oil tanker had ballast and safety problems. As the tanker pitched and heaved in the sea, the oil would move more quickly than the water, tipping or forcing the vessel. This is an example of the [[free surface effect]] of liquids in ships, and it wrecked several early vessels. When Nobel solved these problems, the Zoroaster was built. By the mid-1880s, Ludwig's tanker had proved itself on the much rougher Atlantic ocean and his basic concept revolutionised the transport of oil. It was the first step towards tanker designs seen today.


In 1863, two sail-driven tankers were built on the [[River Tyne]].<ref name="ebship881">Chisholm, 24:881.</ref> These were followed by the first oil-tank steamer, named the ''Vaderland.''<ref name="ebship881"/> The first successful oil tanker was the ''Zoroaster'', was designed by [[Ludwig Nobel]] (brother of [[Alfred Nobel]]) and built in 1877.<ref name="ebship881"/> This vessel had a displacement of 250 tons, with a length overall of 184 feet, a beam of 27 feet, and a draft of nine feet.
==Naval tankers==
{{Globalize/USA}}
Naval tankers carry a liquid cargo of petroleum, or fuel to other [[navy|naval]] ships steaming at sea, and can transfer the fuel during [[replenishment at sea]]. They may also carry small quantities of [[ammunition]] and [[cargo]]. The U.S. Navy’s first diesel-powered surface ship, the oiler [[USS Maumee (AO-2)|USS ''Maumee'']], was a good-sized ship for her time at 14,500 tons, and her engines were very large, developing 2,500 horsepower each. Her Captain, CDR [[Henry C. Dinger]], and his Executive Officer [[Chester Nimitz]] worked out the first procedures for transferring fuel oil at sea. Initially, refueling with oil followed the same pattern as coaling – done at anchor in a protected roadstead with the receiving ships moored alongside. In less than six months, Dinger and Nimitz had worked out a mechanism for [[underway replenishment]] (UNREP) by towing the receiving ship alongside. When the United States joined the Allies in [[World War I]], ''Maumee'' was the oiler that made it possible for the U.S. Navy to deploy destroyers across the Atlantic. During [[World War II]], the transport of petroleum and its products was a critical strategic activity since shortages had a paralysing impact on mechanised nations. The destruction and defense of these ships was therefore of prime concern.


The ''Zoroaster'' plied the [[Caspian Sea]] from the [[Apsheron Peninsula]], near [[Baku]], in what was then the [[Russian Empire]]. Earlier designs suffered greatly from safety problems due to the [[free surface effect]]: as the tanker heaved in the sea, the oil would move more quickly than the water, causing ships to capsize. Nobel's tanker had proved itself in the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic ocean and his basic concept revolutionised the transport of oil.
==Merchant tankers==
Merchant tankers carry a wide range of hydrocarbon liquids from crude oil to refined petroleum products. They vary in sizes from roughly 55,000 [[Tonnage#Weight measurements|deadweight]] (a measure of cargo-carrying capacity) of the [[Panamax]] crude carriers to over 300,000 for the Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). A 300,000dwt tanker is designed to load 2 million barrels of crude oil, usually about 285,000 tonnes, but has the extra capacity to load lighter, higher volume crude oils if necessary. [[Suezmax]]es load about one million barrels while Aframaxes load 650,000 - 800,000 bbls. Note: definitions of what size of tanker constitute what type e.g. whether a 320,000dwt tanker is VLCC or a ULCC, varies from broker to broker, lawyer to lawyer and ship owner to ship owner. As there is no set, standard, classification, there is no one 'correct' answer. All descriptions of X-size being an X-tanker should be treated with caution.


In 1903, the Nobel brothers built two oil tankers which ran on [[internal combustion engine]]s, as opposed to the older [[steam engine]]s.<ref name="ebship881"/> The ''Vandale'' and ''Sarmat'' were each capable of carrying 750 tons of refined oil and powered by 360 horsepower diesel motors.<ref name="ebship881a">Chisholm, 24:881-882.</ref> This same firm soon went on to make much larger oil tankers, such as the ''Emanuel Nobel'' and ''Karl Hagelin'', 4,600-ton kerosene tankers with 1,200 horsepower engines.<ref name="ebship882">Chisholm, 24:882.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"

|-
==Size categories==
! Class
{| bgcolor="#f7f8ff" align="right" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: gray solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
| colspan="4" | '''Oil Tanker Size Categories'''
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
! Photo
! Class<ref>Note: definitions of what size of tanker constitute what type e.g. whether a 320,000dwt tanker is VLCC or a ULCC, varies from broker to broker, lawyer to lawyer and ship owner to ship owner. As there is no set, standard, classification, there is no one 'correct' answer. All descriptions of X-size being an X-tanker should be treated with caution.</ref>
! Tonnage (dwt)
! Tonnage (dwt)
! Typical load (bbl)
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Image:Motor Tanker Fredericksburg (T5).jpg|thumb|200px|The [[SS Fredericksburg (T5)|Fredericksburg]] was a coastal oil tanker of 40,000 dwt.]]
| [[Seawaymax]]
| 10,000-60,000
|
|-
| [[Panamax]]
| 60,000-80,000
|
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Image:Gerd Knutsen in Brest.jpg|thumb|200px|The Aframax tanker ''Gerd Knutsen'' at the wharf in [[Brest, France|Brest]].]]
| Aframax
| [[Aframax]]
| 80,000-120,000
| 80,000-120,000
| 650,000 - 800,000
|-
|-
| Suezmax
| [[Suezmax]]
| 130,000-160,000
| 130,000-160,000
| 1,000,000
|-
|-
| rowspan=3| [[Image:Supertanker AbQaiq.jpg|thumb|200px| The informal term '''Supertanker''' is generally reserved for vessels over 250,000 dwt.<ref>[http://psix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIXDetails.aspx?VesselID=606521 USCG PSIX]</ref>]]
| VLCC
| [[VLCC]]
| 200,000-320,000
| 200,000-320,000
| 2,000,000
|-
|-
| ULCC
| [[ULCC]]
| over 320,000
| over 320,000
| over 2,000,000
|-
|-
|V Plus
|[[V Plus]]
|over 440,000
|over 440,000
|}
|
|}Merchant oil tankers carry a wide range of hydrocarbon liquids ranging from crude oil to refined petroleum products.<ref name="hay2">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-2.</ref> Their size is measured in [[Tonnage#Weight measurements|deadweight tons]] (dwt). Crude carriers are among the largest, ranging from 55,000 dwt [[Panamax]]-sized vessels to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) of over 300,000 dwt.<ref name="hay3">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-3.</ref>


Smaller tankers, typically less than 10,000dwt in capacity, are used on inland waterways, e.g. by Russian [[Volgotanker]] on the [[Volga River]] and various canals. Similarly sized [[lake tanker]]s were used on [[Lake Maracaibo]] in [[Venezuela]] in 1923-53.
At the smaller end of the spectrum lie product tankers, carrying refined cargoes range from well under 10,000 dwt to Panamax size.<ref name="hay3"/> The smallest tankers, less than 10,000 dwt in capacity, work coastal and inland waterways.<ref name="hay3"/> Examples of routes plied by small tankers include the Russian [[Volgotanker]] on the [[Volga River]] and [[lake tanker]]s such as those used on [[Lake Maracaibo]] in [[Venezuela]] in 1923-53.


'''Supertanker''' is an informal term for the very largest tankers. Today it is applied to Very-Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCC) above 250,000 dwt. These ships can transport two million barrels of oil.<ref name="hay3"/> By way of comparison, the oil consumption of Spain and the UK combined is about 3.2 million barrels of oil a day.<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption Energy Statistics > Oil > Consumption by country]</ref> Ships of the smaller [[Aframax]] and [[Suezmax]] classes are no longer regarded as "supertankers".
==Supertankers ==
[[Image:Supertanker AbQaiq.jpg|thumb|300px|Commercial crude oil supertanker ''AbQaiq''.]]
The term '''supertanker''' usually refers to the world's largest ships, those [[tanker (ship)|tanker]] [[ship]]s above 250,000 in deadweight [[tonnage|tonnes]] (dwt) (i.e. carrying capacity) and capable of transporting two million barrels of oil. By way of comparison, the oil consumption of Spain and the UK combined is about 3.2 million barrels of oil a day.<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption Energy Statistics > Oil > Consumption by country]</ref>


The largest supertanker&mdash;indeed the world's largest ship ever &mdash;was the ''Jahre Viking'' or ''Seawise Giant'' (now the permanently moored storage tanker ''[[Knock Nevis]]''), weighing in at 564,763 [[Tonnage#Weight measurements|deadweight]] tons. In the [[1950s]], tankers with only a tenth of that capacity would have been called supertankers.
"Supertanker" is an unofficial term. In the shipping industry, it is standard practice to refer to supertankers using size designations such as Very-Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCC). Supertankers are capable of transporting vast quantities of liquids, and in practice are used to move [[crude oil]].


The four largest supertankers,<ref>These four sister ships were built by [[Hellespont Steamship Corporation]] at the [[Daewoo]] shipyard. They are currently named [[TI Asia]], [[TI Europe]], [[TI Oceania]], and [[TI Africa]].</ref> built ''circa'' 2002, carry the designation (V Plus), although the term ULCC has not been assigned a maximum dwt.<ref>[http://www.tankersinternational.com/basic_glossary.php Education Section: Basic Glossary]. Tankers International.</ref>
The largest supertanker&mdash;indeed the world's largest ship ever &mdash;was the ''Jahre Viking'' or ''Seawise Giant'' (now the permanently moored storage tanker ''[[Knock Nevis]]''), weighing in at 564,763 [[Tonnage#Weight measurements|deadweight]] tonnes. In the [[1950s]], tankers with only a tenth of that capacity would have been called supertankers.


When first introduced, their size and [[draft (hull)|draft]] prevented supertankers from docking at many existing docks, requiring them to discharge their cargo into smaller [[Tanker (ship)|tankers]] offshore. Some ports have developed special deep-water off-loading facilities connected to the land by pipelines (such as the [[Louisiana Offshore Oil Port]]). Supertankers are also very efficient ships, mostly relying on a single propeller for propulsion, and therefore supertanker transport costs typically account for only US $0.02 per gallon of gas at the pump.<ref>The History Channel. ''Modern Marvels: Supertankers''.</ref><br clear="both"/>
The four largest supertankers<ref>These four sister ships were built by [[Hellespont Steamship Corporation]] at the [[Daewoo]] shipyard. They are currently named [[TI Asia]], [[TI Europe]], [[TI Oceania]], and [[TI Africa]].</ref>, built ''circa'' 2002, carry the designation (V Plus), although the term ULCC has not been assigned a maximum dwt.<ref>[http://www.tankersinternational.com/basic_glossary.php Education Section: Basic Glossary]. Tankers International.</ref> Smaller classes of tanker, such as [[Aframax]] or [[Suezmax]], are no longer regarded as "supertankers".


==Current architecture==
Until the [[1960s]], international maritime trade relied heavily on the [[Suez Canal]], the width and depth of which effectively placed a [[Suezmax|limit on the size of merchant vessels]]; it was rare for oil tankers to exceed 45,000 tonnes in displacement. This was changed drastically by the [[Six-Day War]], with the Suez Canal being closed from 1967 to 1975. Being forced to make the longer and costlier detour through the [[Cape of Good Hope]], shipping companies opted for the next-best option, that was to build very large tankers, free from the constraint of the [[Suezmax]], that offer better [[economies of scale]] than that of older, smaller vessels.
Oil tankers generally have from 8 to 12 tanks.<ref name="tur824">Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-24.</ref> Each tank is split into two or three independent compartments by fore-and-aft bulkheads.<ref name="tur824"/> The tanks are numbered with tank one being the forwardmost. Individual compartments are referred to by the tank number and the athwartships position, such as "one port," "three starboard," or "six center."<ref name="tur824"/>


A cofferdam is a small space left open between two bulkheads, to give protection from heat, fire, or collision.<ref name="tur824">Turpin and McEven, 1980:14-20.</ref> Tankers generally have cofferdams forward and aft of the cargo tanks, and sometimes between individual tanks.<ref name="tur825">Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-25.</ref>
When first introduced, their size and [[draft (hull)|draft]] prevented them from docking at many existing docks, requiring them to discharge their cargo into smaller [[Tanker (ship)|tankers]] offshore. Some ports have developed special deep-water off-loading facilities connected to the land by pipelines (such as the [[Louisiana Offshore Oil Port]]). Supertankers are also very efficient ships, mostly relying on a single propeller for propulsion, and therefore supertanker transport costs typically account for only US $0.02 per gallon of gas at the pump.<ref>The History Channel. ''Modern Marvels: Supertankers''.</ref>


A pumproom houses all the pumps connected to a tanker's cargo lines.<ref name="tur824"/> Some larger tankers have two pumprooms.<ref name="tur824"/> A pumproom generally spans the total breadth of the ship.<ref name="tur824"/>
==Pollution ==
From time to time there have been accidents that have led to serious and catastrophic pollution. Another concern has been the pollution caused by careless cleaning of ships' tanks. According to the [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]], fewer than 67 barrels (about 2,800 gallons) were spilled out of more than 4.2 billion barrels of petroleum delivered by tankers to the U.S. in 2005. The total volume of petroleum spilled from tankers annually in the U.S. has averaged fewer than 4,000 barrels annually from 1996-2005, including no marine incidents during 2005's record hurricane season. In fact, far more oil enters the oceans from natural sources and other incidents than from tanker spills.


===Hull designs===
However, it is telling that although the Exxon Valdez incident was one of the 20th century's most catastrophic environmental disasters, it could, in fact, have been far worse. Current media reports suggest that some 11 million gallons of oil was dumped on the Alaskan coast in that disaster. This equates to some 35,000 mts of cargo - the Exxon Valdez had the capacity to load about 215,000 mts.
[[Image:DoubleBottomDoubleHull.png|thumb|right|200px|Single hull, Double bottom, and Double hull ship cross sections. Green lines are watertight; black structure is not watertight]]A major component of tanker architecture is the design of the hull or outer structure. A tanker with a single outer shell between the product and the ocean is said to be ''single-hulled.''<ref name="hay144">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-4.</ref> Most newer tankers are ''[[Double hull|double-hulled]]'', with an extra space between the hull and the storage tanks.<ref name="hay144"/> Self-descriptive hybrid designs such as ''double-bottom'' and ''double-sided'' combine aspects of single and double-hull designs.<ref name="hay144"/>


All single-hulled tankers around the world will be phased out by 2026, in accordance with the [[MARPOL 73/78|International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973]].<ref name="hay144"/>
== Anti pollution control and measures ==
Following the [[Exxon Valdez oil spill|''Exxon Valdez'' incident]], the [[United States]] passed the [[Oil Pollution Act of 1990]] (OPA-90), which included a stipulation that all tankers entering its waters be [[Double-hulled tanker|double-hulled]] by 2015. Following the sinkings of the ''[[Erika (tanker)|Erika]]'' (1999) and ''[[Prestige oil spill|Prestige]]'' (2002), the [[European Union]] passed its own stringent anti-pollution packages (known as Erika I, II, and III), which also require all tankers entering its waters to be double-hulled by 2010. The Erika packages are controversial because they introduced the new legal concept of "[[serious negligence]]". [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2005:255:0011:01:EN:HTML]


In 1998, the Marine Board of the [[National Academy of Science]] conducted a survey of industry experts regarding the pros and cons of double-hull design. Some of the advantages of the double-hull design that were mentioned include:
==Double hulled tankers==
In "single-hulled" tankers, the hull is also the wall of the oil tanks, and any breach will result in an oil spill. Newer tankers are "[[Double hull|double-hulled]]", with a space between the hull and the storage tanks to reduce the risk of a spill if the outer hull is breached. This space carries water ballast when the ship is not carrying an oil cargo.


* ease of ballasting in emergency situations,<ref name="ho259">{{cite web |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5798&page=259 |title=Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998) |accessdate=2007-04-10 |format= |work=Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems }}</ref>
===Safety controversy===
* reduced practice of saltwater ballasting in cargo tanks decreases corrosion,<ref name="ho260">{{cite web |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5798&page=260 |title=Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998) |accessdate=2007-04-10 |format= |work=Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems }}</ref>
{{unbalanced}}
* increased environmental protection,<ref name="ho260"/>
In theory, the addition of an extra hull should prevent such a ship from suffering a catastrophic breach of the hull. A double-hull tanker is said to be safer than a single-hull in a grounding incident, especially when the shore is not very rocky.<ref>Joem K. Paik and Tak K. Lee, [http://www.isope.org/publications/journals/ijope-05-4/abst-5-4-p286-IL-10-Paik.pdf Damage and Residual Strength of Double-Hull Tankers in Grounding], ''International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, December 1995.</ref> But some commentators{{Who|date=December 2007}} have questioned whether double hulls are actually any safer than single hulls. The proposition has been put forward that double hulls could be more dangerous than single hulls.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Collisions at a low speed won't necessarily damage a vessel. Collisions at a greater force would still have to rupture the internal oil tanks and cause the oil to spill. There is a physical force called [[hydrostatic balance]] which refers to the tendency of oil and water to repel each other. Expert opinion (see ''The Tankship Tromedy'' by Jack Devanny) points out that hydrostatic pressure within tankers is more than adequate to contain an oil spill in the event of a low impact collision, especially if the internal tanks are set in an elevated position.
* cargo discharge is quicker, more complete and easier,<ref name="ho260"/>
* tank washing is more efficient,<ref name="ho260"/> and
* better protection in low-impact collisions and grounding.<ref name="ho260"/>


The same report lists the following as some drawbacks to the double-hull design:
The case against double hulls can be found, for instance, in the article ''Double, double toil and trouble'' in Fairplay International Shipping Weekly, 23 Jun 2005. The essence of the case against double hulls is as follows. A single hull is more easily inspected and maintained than are double hulls, and the struts between the skins of a double hull are subject to hogging and sagging (the tendency to make metal bend down at the ends and up in the middle [hogging] and down in the middle and up at the ends [sagging]) and racking and twisting, whereas these forces are non-existent in the case of a single hull tanker. Double hulls also carry a greater risk of explosion than a single hull: gas from crude oil is flammable and double hulls have void spaces between their skins, whereas single hulls do not. Gas collects within the void spaces and so must be pumped full of inert gas to prevent explosion. For single hull ships, empty ballast tanks would also have to be inserted as there is possibility of gas leakage from oil tanks into empty ballast tanks as well.
* more expensive to build,<ref name="ho261">{{cite web |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5798&page=261 |title=Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998) |accessdate=2007-04-10 |format= |work=Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems }}</ref>
* more expensive canal and port expenses,<ref name="ho261"/>
* ballast tank ventilation difficult,<ref name="ho261"/>
* ballast tanks need continual monitoring and maintenence,<ref name="ho261"/>
* increased transverse free surface,<ref name="ho261"/>
* more surfaces to maintain,<ref name="ho261"/>
* explosion risk in double-hull spaces if vapor detection system not fitted,<ref name="ho262">{{cite web |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5798&page=262 |title=Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998) |accessdate=2007-04-10 |format= |work=Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems }}</ref>
* cleaning mud from ballast spaces a bigger problem.<ref name="ho262"/>


In all, double-hull tankers are said to be safer than a single-hull in a grounding incident, especially when the shore is not very rocky.<ref>Joem K. Paik and Tak K. Lee, [http://www.isope.org/publications/journals/ijope-05-4/abst-5-4-p286-IL-10-Paik.pdf Damage and Residual Strength of Double-Hull Tankers in Grounding], ''International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, December 1995.</ref>The safety benefits are less clear on larger vessels and in cases of high speed impact.<ref name="ho260"/><ref>[http://www.earthtoys.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=07.02.01&article=green_ships Earthtoys - Emagazine</ref><ref>''Double, double, oil and trouble'' in Fairplay International Shipping Weekly, 23 Jun 2005.</ref>
Several groundings and collisions show that the double hull provides adequate protection against oil spills. This supports the results from advanced structural ultimate strength calculations carried out for various tank arrangements at impact speeds of 5 and 10 knots, in connection with the OPA90(US National Research Council: Tanker spills. Prevention by Design 1991). These calculations show that the oil spills from double hull tankers are reduced to one third for reasonable double hull designs compared with conventional SBT tankers.
<br clear="both"/>


==Cargo-related operations==
The biggest oil spills come from a few cases of high energy collisions <ref>[http://www.earthtoys.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=07.02.01&article=green_ships Earthtoys - Emagazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The potential for such spills cannot be used as an argument against the merits of double hulls reducing the oil spill potential in case of groundings and collisions. Other measures than tank arrangement and structural strength must be considered in order to reduce the risk of such incidents.
[[Image:Unloading tanker.jpg|thumb|right|Cargo flows between a tanker and a shore station by way of marine loading arms attached at the tanker's cargo manifold.]]Operations aboard oil tankers are governed by an established body of best practices and a large body of international law.<ref name="hay1">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-1.</ref>


===Pre-transfer preparation===
A possible danger of double hulled ships, or rather the larger, bulkhead free, tanks that they make possible, is the free surface effect. "A double-hulled tanker doesn't need longitudinal bulkheads for longitudinal strength, as the inner hull already provides this. This results in much wider tanks, significantly increasing the [[free surface effect]]," writes Earthtoys Emagazine.{{fact|date=February 2008}} The free surface effect is a phenomenon that occurs when a liquid is able to flow freely from side to side, or from fore to aft, along with the pitch and heave motion of the sea. When a vessel tilts, the free water rushes from one side of the ship to the other. The sudden rush of water to one side can cause the ship to suddenly list dangerously, even causing it to tip and sink. The free surface water effect has been a significant factor in the sinking of some other ships, such as the roll-on, roll-off Ferry [[M/V al-Salam Boccaccio 98|Al-Salam Boccaccio '98]]. In single hull tankers swash bulkheads are used to reduce the risk for sloshing, which may occur in wide cargo center tanks and side ballast tanks.
Prior to any transfer of cargo, the [[Chief officer]] must develop a transfer plan detailing specifics of the operation such as how much cargo will be moved, which tanks will be cleaned, and how the ship's ballasting will change.<ref name="hay6">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-6.</ref> The next step before a transfer is the pretransfer conference.<ref name="hay7">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-7.</ref> The pretransfer conference covers issues such as:


*What products will be moved,<ref name="hay7"/>
However, a Ro-Ro Ferry is a completely different kind of vessel, and by its characteristics the free surface effect has a much greater impact. Problems as cited in this article with respect to double hulled vessels have in the main been proved to be incorrect and speculative in nature. {{fact|date=February 2008}}
*In what order will products be moved,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Names and titles of key people,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Particulars of shipboard and shore equipment,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Critical stages of the transfer,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Federal, state, and local regulations in effect,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Emergency and spill-containment procedures,<ref name="hay7"/>
*Watch and shift arrangements,<ref name="hay7"/> and
*Shutdown procedures<ref name="hay7"/>


After the conference is complete, the person in charge on the ship and the person in charge of the shore installation go over a final inspection checklist. <ref name="hay7"/> In the United States, the checklist is called a Declaration of Inspection or DOI.<ref name="hay7"/> Outside of the U.S., the document is called the "Ship/Shore Safety Checklist."<ref name="hay7"/> Items on the checklist include:
Owing to the greater use of materials involved, greater hogging and sagging forces, greater likelihood of explosive gas/air mixture building and greater difficulty of inspecting and maintaining double hulls when compared to single hulls, some commentators believe that double hulls are more dangerous than single hulls. Further criticisms of double hulls can be found [http://www.emsa.eu.int. here].


*Proper signals and signs are displayed,<ref name="hay7"/>
A full investigation of the pros and cons of single and double hulls can be found in an article on green shipping [http://www.earthtoys.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=07.02.01&article=green_ships here].
*The vessel is securely moored,<ref name="hay7"/>
*A language for all communication is chosen,<ref name="hay8">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-8.</ref>
*All connections are secure,<ref name="hay8"/>
*Emergency equipment is in place,<ref name="hay8"/> and
*No repair work is taking place.<ref name="hay8"/>


===Loading cargo===
==List Of Notable Supertankers==
[[Image:Gaz connection on an oil tanker.jpg|thumb|right|Oil is pumped on and off the ship by way of connections made at the cargo manifold.]]Loading an oil tanker consists primarily of pumping cargo into the ship's tanks.<ref name="hay8"/> As oil enters the tank, the vapors inside the tank must be somehow expelled.<ref name="hay8"/> Depending on local regulations, the vapors can be expelled into the atmosphere or discharged back to the pumping station by way of a vapor recovery line.<ref name="hay8"/> It is also common for the ship to move water balast during the loading of cargo to maintain proper trim.


Loading starts slowly at a low pressure to ensure that equipment is working correctly and that connections are secure. Then a steady pressure is achieved and held until the "topping-off" phase when the tanks are nearly full.<ref name="hay8"/> Topping off is a very dangerous time in handling oil, and the procedure is handled particularly carefully.<ref name="hay8"/> Tank-gauging equipment is used to tell the person in charge how much space is left in the tank, and all tankers have at least two independent methods for tank-gauging.<ref name="hay8"/> As the tanker becomes full, crew members open and close valves to direct the flow of product and maintain close communication with the pumping facility to decrease and finally stop the flow of liquid.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
|-
! Owners
! Origins
!Class or name
!width=120px|Builder
!Type
!Year Entered Service
!Year of Retirement
!Fate
|-
| Fred. Olsen Production
| {{NOR}}
|'''[[Knock Nevis]]'''
| Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.
| supertanker
| 1981
| 2004
| permanently moored in Qatar
|-
| Société Maritime Shell France
| {{FRA}}
| '''[[Batillus class supertankers]]'''/'''Battilus'''
| Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Alstom Marine
| supertanker
| 1976
| 1985
| scrapped in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
|-
| Société Maritime Shell France
| {{FRA}}
| '''[[Batillus class supertankers]]'''/'''Bellamya'''
| Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Alstom Marine
| supertanker
| 1976
| 1986
| scrapped in Ulsan, South Korea
|-
|
| {{FRA}}
| '''[[Batillus class supertankers]]'''/'''Pierre Guillaumat'''; rename Ulsan Master
| Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Alstom Marine
| supertanker
| 1977
| 1983
| scrapped in Ulsan, South Korea
|-
|
| {{FRA}}
| '''Prairial''', formerly '''Hella Fos''', '''Sea Giant'''
| Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Alstom Marine
| supertanker
| 1979
| 2003
| scrapped in Pakistan
|-
| Euronav NV
| {{BEL}}
| '''[[TI Asia]]''', formerly '''Hellespont Alhambra'''
| Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
| supertanker
| 2002
|
| still active
|-
| Euronav NV
| {{BEL}}
| '''[[TI Europe]]''', formerly '''Hellespont Tara'''
| Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
| supertanker
| 2002
|
| still active
|-
| Overseas Shipping Group
| {{USA}}
| '''[[TI Oceania]]''', formerly '''Hellespont Fairfax'''
| Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
| supertanker
| 2002
|
| still active
|-
|
| {{USA}}
| '''[[TI Africa]]''', formerly '''Hellespont Metropolis'''
| Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
| supertanker
| 2002
|
| still active
|-
| Esso International Shipping (Bahamas) Co Ltd, Nassau
| Bahamas, Greece
| '''[[Esso Atlantica]]'''
| Hitachi Zosen
| supertanker
| 1977
| 1990
| scrapped in Pakistan 2002
|-
| Esso Eastern Marine Ltd., Bermuda and Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Inc
| {{BER}}, {{GRE}}
| '''[[Esso Pacific]]'''; renamed KAPETAN MICHALIS
| Hitachi Zosen
| supertanker
| 1977
| 1990
| scrapped in Pakistan 2002
|-
| Barracuda Tanker Corporation
| {{USA}}/{{UK}}
| '''[[Torrey Canyon]]'''
|
| supertanker - first supertanker
| 1960?
| 1967
| wrecked
|-
| Exxon
| {{USA}}
| '''[[Exxon Valdez]]'''
| National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
| supertanker
| 1986
|
| still active - source of major spill in Alaskan waters; renamed '''Mediterranean'''
|}


===Unloading cargo===
*Former supertankers converted into [[Mercy class hospital ship]]s
[[Image:Oil pump on an oil tanker.jpg|thumb|right|This cargo pump aboard a VLCC can move 5,000 cubic meters of product per hour.]]The process of moving oil off of a tanker is similar to loading, but has some key differences.<ref name="tur830">Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-30.</ref> The first step in the operation is following the same pretransfer procedures as used in loading.<ref name="hay9">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-9.</ref> When the transfer begins, it is the ship's cargo pumps that are used to move the product ashore.<ref name="hay9"/> As in loading, the transfer starts at low pressure to ensure that equipment is working correctly and that connections are secure.<ref name="hay9"/> Then a steady pressure is achieved and held during the operation.<ref name="hay10">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-10.</ref> While pumping, tank levels are carefully watched and key locations, such as the connection at the cargo manifold and the ship's pumproom are constantly monitored.<ref name="tur830"/> Under the direction of the person in charge, crew members open and close valves to direct the flow of product and maintain close communication with the receiving facility to decrease and finally stop the flow of liquid.<ref name="tur830"/>
**'''[[USNS Mercy (T-AH-19)|USNS Mercy]]''', formerly '''SS Worth'''
**'''[[USNS Comfort (T-AH-20)|USNS Comfort]]''', formerly '''SS Rose City (MA-301)'''


==References==
===Tank cleaning===
Tanks must be cleaned from time to time for various reasons. One reason is to change the type of product carried inside a tank. Also, when tanks are to be inspected or maintenance must be performed within a tank, it must be not only cleaned, but made "gas-free."<ref name="hay12">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-12.</ref>
{{reflist}}


On most crude-oil tankers, a special crude oil washing (COW) system is part of the cleaning process.<ref name="hay12"/> The COW system circulates part of the cargo through the fixed tank-cleaning system to remove wax and asphaltic deposits.<ref name="hay12"/>
==Further reading==

Tanks that carry less viscous cargoes are washed with water. Fixed and portable water washing systems exist.<ref name="hay12"/> Some systems use rotating high-pressure water jets to spray hot water on all the internal surfaces of the tank.<ref name="hay12"/> As the spraying takes place, the liquid is pumped out of the tank.<ref name="hay12"/>

After a tank is cleaned, it may be gas-freed."<ref name="hay13">Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-13.</ref> This involves blowing fresh air into the tank to force accumulated gasses out.<ref name="hay13"/> Specially trained personnel monitor the tank's atmosphere, often using hand-held gas indicators which measure the percentage of hydrocarbons present.<ref name="hay13"/> When this percentage drops below a value specified in tank-vessel regulations, the tank is declared to be gas-free.<ref name="hay13"/>

After a tank is gas-free, it may be further hand-cleaned in a process referred to as "mucking." This task is generally done by [[Able seaman|able seamen]] and [[deck officer]]s using tools such as mops, buckets, rags and sponges.

==Specialized designs==

===Naval oilers===
[[Image:Double underway replenishment 2005.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Australian Navy]] auxiliary oiler replenishment ship [[HMAS Success (AOR 304)]] refuels the [[USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)]] and the [[USS Cowpens (CG 63)]].]]A '''naval oiler''' (called a '''fleet tanker''' in the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]) is distinguished from other oil tankers by their ability to deliver fuel while making way in a process known as [[underway replenishment]]. Prior to the advent of this technique, naval vessels refuelled while in port or at anchor.

The fleet oiler [[USS Maumee (AO-2)|USS ''Maumee'']], launched on [[April 17]], [[1915]], pioneered the technique of underway replenishment.<ref name="danfs">{{cite book | author = Navy Dept., Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division | authorlink = [[Department of the Navy]] | coauthors = | editor = | others = | title = Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Volume 6 | origdate = 01 | origyear = 1976 | origmonth = 06 | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m6/maumee-ii.htm | format = | accessdate = 23 | accessyear = 2008 | accessmonth = 02 | edition = | series = | date = | year = | month = | publisher = | location = | language = | isbn = 0160020301 | oclc = | doi = | id = | pages = | chapter = | chapterurl = | quote = | ref =}}</ref> A large ship at the time, at 14,500 deadweight tons, ''Maumee'' began refuelling [[destroyer]]s ''en route'' to Britain at the outset of [[World War I]].<ref name="danfs"/> This technique enabled the Navy to keep its fleets at sea for extended periods, with a far greater range independent of the availability of a friendly port.<ref name="danfs"/> This independence proved crucial to victory in World War II by the ships commanded by [[Chester Nimitz|Fleet Admiral Nimitz ]]who, as ''Maumee''’s [[executive officer]], had played a key role in developing underway replenishment.<ref name="danfs"/>

Underway replenishment was quickly adopted by other navies. One example of this is the Australian fleet oiler ''[[HMAS Kurumba]]'' which provided underway replenishment services in the United Kingdom's [[Royal Navy]] from 1917 to 1919.<ref name="aussies">{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/spc/ncamo/chap10.html |title= Navy Contribution to Australian Maritime Operations |accessdate=2008-02-23 |format= |work=Royal Australian Navy }}</ref>

Naval oilers may also carry water, ammunition, rations, stores and personnel.<ref name="aussies"/>

===Ore-bulk-oil carriers===
[[Image:Maya OBO carrier 2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The OBO-carrier ''Maya''. The picture is showing both the cargo hold hatches used for bulk and the pipes used for oil]]
An '''Ore-bulk-oil carrier''', also known as '''combination carrier''' or '''OBO''', is a [[ship]] designed to be capable of carrying wet or dry [[cargo]]es. The idea is to reduce the number of empty ([[Sailing ballast|ballast]]) voyages, in which large ships only carry a cargo one way and return empty for another. These are a feature of the larger bulk trades (e.g. [[crude oil]] from the [[Middle East]], [[iron ore]] and [[coal]] from [[Australia]], [[South Africa]] and [[Brazil]]).

Combination carriers found themselves specialising in one trade or the other, and their flexibility went very much unused. Very few were built after the 1980s, and the idea has rather fallen out of fashion. One of the more famous OBOs was the Derbyshire [[MV Derbyshire|MV ''Derbyshire'']] of 180,000 [[deadweight tonnage|deadweight tonnes]], which in September 1980 became the largest British ship ever lost at sea. It sank in a Pacific [[typhoon]] while carrying a cargo of iron ore from [[Sept-Îles, Quebec|Sept-Îles]] in [[Canada]] to [[Japan]].

A fleet of smaller, "river-sized" (several thousand tonnes) ore-bulk-oil carriers have been used for some decades on European Russia's waterways, primarily by [[Volgotanker]]. The Russian word for 'ore-bulk-oil carrier', ''nefterudovoz'' (нефтерудовоз, literally 'oil/ore carrier'), in combination with a number, is often used as a proper name for a ship, e.g. ''Nefterudovoz-51M'.
<ref>[http://www.riverships.ru/english/types/nefterudovoz_register.shtm Ship listing of the type "Nefterudovoz"]</ref><ref>[http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/nefterudovoz51m.htm Ship photos - Nefterudovoz-51M</ref>

==Pollution ==
[[Image:OilCleanupAfterValdezSpill.jpeg|thumb|250px|left| The [[Exxon Valdez oil spill|''Exxon Valdez'' spilled]] 10.8 million gallons of oil into Alaska's [[Prince William Sound]].<ref name = EVOSTC_FAQ> {{cite web| title = Frequently asked questions about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill|url=http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/History/FAQ.htm|publisher =State of Alaska}}</ref>]]From time to time there have been accidents that have led to serious and catastrophic pollution. Another concern has been the pollution caused by careless cleaning of ships' tanks. According to the [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]], fewer than 67 barrels (about 2,800 gallons) were spilled out of more than 4.2 billion barrels of petroleum delivered by tankers to the U.S. in 2005. The total volume of petroleum spilled from tankers annually in the U.S. has averaged fewer than 4,000 barrels annually from 1996-2005, including no marine incidents during 2005's record hurricane season. In fact, far more oil enters the oceans from natural sources and other incidents than from tanker spills.

However, it is telling that although the Exxon Valdez incident was one of the 20th century's most catastrophic environmental disasters, it could, in fact, have been far worse. Current media reports suggest that some 11 million gallons of oil was dumped on the Alaskan coast in that disaster. This equates to some 35,000 mts of cargo - the Exxon Valdez had the capacity to load about 215,000 mts.

=== Anti pollution control and measures ===
Following the [[Exxon Valdez oil spill|''Exxon Valdez'' incident]], the [[United States]] passed the [[Oil Pollution Act of 1990]] (OPA-90), which included a stipulation that all tankers entering its waters be [[Double-hulled tanker|double-hulled]] by 2015. Following the sinkings of the ''[[Erika (tanker)|Erika]]'' (1999) and ''[[Prestige oil spill|Prestige]]'' (2002), the [[European Union]] passed its own stringent anti-pollution packages (known as Erika I, II, and III), which also require all tankers entering its waters to be double-hulled by 2010. The Erika packages are controversial because they introduced the new legal concept of "[[serious negligence]]".<ref>{{cite book |author=European Parliament |authorlink=European Parliament |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Directive 2005/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements
|origdate=2005 |origyear= |origmonth= |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2005:255:0011:01:EN:HTML |format= |accessdate=02-22-2008 |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year= |month= |publisher= |location= |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}</ref>

==Today's fleet==
===Flag states===
As of 2007, the United States [[Central Intelligence Agency]] statistics count 4,295 oil tankers of 1,000 deadweight tons or greater worldwide.<ref name="cia">Central Intelligence Agency, 2007.</ref> [[Panama]] was the world's largest [[flag state]] for oil tankers, with 528 of the vessels in its registry.<ref name="cia"/> Six other flag states had more than 200 registered oil tankers: [[Liberia]] (464), [[Singapore]] (355), [[China]] (252), [[Russia]] (250), the [[Marshall Islands]] (234) and [[The Bahamas]] (209).<ref name="cia"/> Former sea-powers the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]] only had 59 and 27 registered oil tankers, respectively.<ref name="cia"/>



==See also==
{{nautical portal}}
*[[:Category:Tankers]]
*[[Marine transfer operations]]
*[[MARPOL 73/78]]
*[[Prestige oil spill]]
*[[Replenishment oiler]]
*[[Tanker (ship)]]
*[[List of oil spills]]
*[[List of tankers]]
*[[List of replenishment ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
*[[List of Type T2 Tanker names]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==References==
* {{cite book
* {{cite book
| last = Sullivan
| last = Sullivan
Line 248: Line 245:
| title = Double Hull Tankers: High Level Panel of Experts Report
| title = Double Hull Tankers: High Level Panel of Experts Report
| year = 2005 }}
| year = 2005 }}
*{{cite encyclopedia
| last =
| first =
| author = Encyclopædia Britannica
| authorlink = Encyclopædia Britannica
| coauthors =
| editor = Chisholm, Hugh
| encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica
| title = Petroleum
| url = http://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=User:Tim_Starling/ScanSet_TIFF_demo&vol=21&page=ED1A336
| accessdate = 2008-02-22
| accessyear =
| accessmonth =
| edition = 11th edition
| date =
| year = 1911
| month =
| publisher =
| volume = 21
| location =
| id =
| doi =
| pages = 316-322
| quote =
}}
*{{cite encyclopedia
| last =
| first =
| author = Encyclopædia Britannica
| authorlink = Encyclopædia Britannica
| coauthors =
| editor = Chisholm, Hugh
| encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica
| title = Ship
| url = http://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=User:Tim_Starling/ScanSet_TIFF_demo&vol=24&page=ED4A915
| accessdate = 2008-02-22
| accessyear =
| accessmonth =
| edition = 11th edition
| date =
| year = 1911
| month =
| publisher =
| volume = 24
| location =
| id =
| doi =
| pages = 881-889
| quote =
}}
* {{cite book |last=Hayler |first=William B. |coauthors=Keever, John M. |title=American Merchant Seaman's Manual |year=2003 |publisher= Cornell Maritime Pr |isbn= 0-87033-549-9 }}
*{{cite web
| url = http://www.marad.dot.gov/MARAD_statistics/2005%20STATISTICS/World%20Merchant%20Fleet%202005.pdf
| title = World Merchant Fleet 2001–2005
| accessdate = March 13
| accessyear = 2007
| author = Office of Data and Economic Analysis
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| date =
| year = 2006
| month = July
| format = PDF
| work =
| publisher = United States Maritime Administration
| pages =
| language =
| archiveurl =
| archivedate =
| quote =
}}
* {{cite book
| author = Central Intelligence Agency


| authorlink = Central Intelligence Agency
| coauthors =
| editor =
| others =
| title = CIA World Factbook 2008
| origdate =
| origyear =
| origmonth =
| url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
| format =
| accessdate = 2008-02-22
| accessyear =
| accessmonth =
| edition =
| series =
| date =
| year = 2007
| month =
| publisher = Skyhorse Publishing
| location =
| language =
| isbn = 1602390800
| oclc =
| doi =
| id =
| pages =
| chapter =
| chapterurl =
| quote =
| ref =
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Turpin
| first = Edward A.
| authorlink =
| coauthors = McEwen, William A.
| editor =
| others =
| title = Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook
| origdate =
| origyear =
| origmonth =
| url =
| format =
| accessdate =
| accessyear =
| accessmonth =
| edition = 4th
| series =
| date =
| year = 1980
| month =
| publisher =Cornell Maritime Press
| location = Centreville, MD
| language =
| isbn = 0-87038-056-X
| oclc =
| doi =
| id =
| pages =
| chapter =
| chapterurl =
| quote =
}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commonscat|Oil tankers}}
* Bill Willis. ''[http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/supertanker/page.html Supertankers]''
* Bill Willis. ''[http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/supertanker/page.html Supertankers]''
*''[http://www.intertanko.com Intertanko]'' - the society of International Tanker Operators
*''[http://www.intertanko.com Intertanko]'' - the society of International Tanker Operators
*[http://www.imo.org/Safety/mainframe.asp?topic_id=155#double The International Maritime Organization] - Tanker Safety (for double-hulls)
*[http://www.imo.org/Safety/mainframe.asp?topic_id=155#double The International Maritime Organization] - Tanker Safety (for double-hulls)

==See also==
{{nautical portal}}
{{Commonscat|Oil tankers}}
*[[Replenishment oiler]]
*[[Tanker (ship)]]


<br clear="both"/>
<br clear="both"/>

Revision as of 23:29, 24 February 2008

Template:Infobox vessel type

Oil tankers, also known as petroleum tankers, or tankers are ships designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tanker: the crude tanker and the product tanker.[1] Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries.[1] Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move petrochemicals from refineries to points near consuming markets.

Some specialized types of oil tankers have evolved. One of these is the naval oiler, a tanker which can fuel a moving vessel. Another specialized design is the Ore-bulk-oil carrier which combines aspects of tankers and dry bulk carriers.

Oil tankers are often classified by their size as well as their occupation. The size classes range from inland or coastal tankers of a few thousand tons to the mammoth supertankers of 650,000 tons.

Oil tankers have been involved in a number of damaging and high-profile oil spills. As a result, they are subject to stringent design and operational regulations.

History

The Falls of Clyde is the oldest surviving American tanker and the world's only surviving sail-driven oil tanker.[2]

The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry. Although man's use of oil reaches to prehistory, the first modern commercial exploitation dates back to James Young's manufacture of parafin in 1850.[3] In these early days, oil from Upper Burma was moved in earthenware vessels to the river bank where it was then poured into boat holds.[4] In the 1850s, the Pennsylvania oil fields became a major supplier of oil, and a center of innovation.[4] Break-bulk boats and barges were originally used to transport Pennsylvania oil in 40-gallon wooden barrels.[4] The idea of moving bulk oil in specially-constructed tanks evolved quickly on America's railways, with modern-style cylindrical tank-cars emerging in 1871.[4]

In 1863, two sail-driven tankers were built on the River Tyne.[5] These were followed by the first oil-tank steamer, named the Vaderland.[5] The first successful oil tanker was the Zoroaster, was designed by Ludwig Nobel (brother of Alfred Nobel) and built in 1877.[5] This vessel had a displacement of 250 tons, with a length overall of 184 feet, a beam of 27 feet, and a draft of nine feet.

The Zoroaster plied the Caspian Sea from the Apsheron Peninsula, near Baku, in what was then the Russian Empire. Earlier designs suffered greatly from safety problems due to the free surface effect: as the tanker heaved in the sea, the oil would move more quickly than the water, causing ships to capsize. Nobel's tanker had proved itself in the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic ocean and his basic concept revolutionised the transport of oil.

In 1903, the Nobel brothers built two oil tankers which ran on internal combustion engines, as opposed to the older steam engines.[5] The Vandale and Sarmat were each capable of carrying 750 tons of refined oil and powered by 360 horsepower diesel motors.[6] This same firm soon went on to make much larger oil tankers, such as the Emanuel Nobel and Karl Hagelin, 4,600-ton kerosene tankers with 1,200 horsepower engines.[7]

Size categories

Oil Tanker Size Categories
Photo Class[8] Tonnage (dwt) Typical load (bbl)
The Fredericksburg was a coastal oil tanker of 40,000 dwt.
Seawaymax 10,000-60,000
Panamax 60,000-80,000
The Aframax tanker Gerd Knutsen at the wharf in Brest.
Aframax 80,000-120,000 650,000 - 800,000
Suezmax 130,000-160,000 1,000,000
The informal term Supertanker is generally reserved for vessels over 250,000 dwt.[9]
VLCC 200,000-320,000 2,000,000
ULCC over 320,000 over 2,000,000
V Plus over 440,000

Merchant oil tankers carry a wide range of hydrocarbon liquids ranging from crude oil to refined petroleum products.[1] Their size is measured in deadweight tons (dwt). Crude carriers are among the largest, ranging from 55,000 dwt Panamax-sized vessels to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) of over 300,000 dwt.[10]

At the smaller end of the spectrum lie product tankers, carrying refined cargoes range from well under 10,000 dwt to Panamax size.[10] The smallest tankers, less than 10,000 dwt in capacity, work coastal and inland waterways.[10] Examples of routes plied by small tankers include the Russian Volgotanker on the Volga River and lake tankers such as those used on Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela in 1923-53.

Supertanker is an informal term for the very largest tankers. Today it is applied to Very-Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCC) above 250,000 dwt. These ships can transport two million barrels of oil.[10] By way of comparison, the oil consumption of Spain and the UK combined is about 3.2 million barrels of oil a day.[11] Ships of the smaller Aframax and Suezmax classes are no longer regarded as "supertankers".

The largest supertanker—indeed the world's largest ship ever —was the Jahre Viking or Seawise Giant (now the permanently moored storage tanker Knock Nevis), weighing in at 564,763 deadweight tons. In the 1950s, tankers with only a tenth of that capacity would have been called supertankers.

The four largest supertankers,[12] built circa 2002, carry the designation (V Plus), although the term ULCC has not been assigned a maximum dwt.[13]

When first introduced, their size and draft prevented supertankers from docking at many existing docks, requiring them to discharge their cargo into smaller tankers offshore. Some ports have developed special deep-water off-loading facilities connected to the land by pipelines (such as the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port). Supertankers are also very efficient ships, mostly relying on a single propeller for propulsion, and therefore supertanker transport costs typically account for only US $0.02 per gallon of gas at the pump.[14]

Current architecture

Oil tankers generally have from 8 to 12 tanks.[15] Each tank is split into two or three independent compartments by fore-and-aft bulkheads.[15] The tanks are numbered with tank one being the forwardmost. Individual compartments are referred to by the tank number and the athwartships position, such as "one port," "three starboard," or "six center."[15]

A cofferdam is a small space left open between two bulkheads, to give protection from heat, fire, or collision.[15] Tankers generally have cofferdams forward and aft of the cargo tanks, and sometimes between individual tanks.[16]

A pumproom houses all the pumps connected to a tanker's cargo lines.[15] Some larger tankers have two pumprooms.[15] A pumproom generally spans the total breadth of the ship.[15]

Hull designs

Single hull, Double bottom, and Double hull ship cross sections. Green lines are watertight; black structure is not watertight

A major component of tanker architecture is the design of the hull or outer structure. A tanker with a single outer shell between the product and the ocean is said to be single-hulled.[17] Most newer tankers are double-hulled, with an extra space between the hull and the storage tanks.[17] Self-descriptive hybrid designs such as double-bottom and double-sided combine aspects of single and double-hull designs.[17]

All single-hulled tankers around the world will be phased out by 2026, in accordance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973.[17]

In 1998, the Marine Board of the National Academy of Science conducted a survey of industry experts regarding the pros and cons of double-hull design. Some of the advantages of the double-hull design that were mentioned include:

  • ease of ballasting in emergency situations,[18]
  • reduced practice of saltwater ballasting in cargo tanks decreases corrosion,[19]
  • increased environmental protection,[19]
  • cargo discharge is quicker, more complete and easier,[19]
  • tank washing is more efficient,[19] and
  • better protection in low-impact collisions and grounding.[19]

The same report lists the following as some drawbacks to the double-hull design:

  • more expensive to build,[20]
  • more expensive canal and port expenses,[20]
  • ballast tank ventilation difficult,[20]
  • ballast tanks need continual monitoring and maintenence,[20]
  • increased transverse free surface,[20]
  • more surfaces to maintain,[20]
  • explosion risk in double-hull spaces if vapor detection system not fitted,[21]
  • cleaning mud from ballast spaces a bigger problem.[21]

In all, double-hull tankers are said to be safer than a single-hull in a grounding incident, especially when the shore is not very rocky.[22]The safety benefits are less clear on larger vessels and in cases of high speed impact.[19][23][24]

File:Unloading tanker.jpg
Cargo flows between a tanker and a shore station by way of marine loading arms attached at the tanker's cargo manifold.

Operations aboard oil tankers are governed by an established body of best practices and a large body of international law.[25]

Pre-transfer preparation

Prior to any transfer of cargo, the Chief officer must develop a transfer plan detailing specifics of the operation such as how much cargo will be moved, which tanks will be cleaned, and how the ship's ballasting will change.[26] The next step before a transfer is the pretransfer conference.[27] The pretransfer conference covers issues such as:

  • What products will be moved,[27]
  • In what order will products be moved,[27]
  • Names and titles of key people,[27]
  • Particulars of shipboard and shore equipment,[27]
  • Critical stages of the transfer,[27]
  • Federal, state, and local regulations in effect,[27]
  • Emergency and spill-containment procedures,[27]
  • Watch and shift arrangements,[27] and
  • Shutdown procedures[27]

After the conference is complete, the person in charge on the ship and the person in charge of the shore installation go over a final inspection checklist. [27] In the United States, the checklist is called a Declaration of Inspection or DOI.[27] Outside of the U.S., the document is called the "Ship/Shore Safety Checklist."[27] Items on the checklist include:

  • Proper signals and signs are displayed,[27]
  • The vessel is securely moored,[27]
  • A language for all communication is chosen,[28]
  • All connections are secure,[28]
  • Emergency equipment is in place,[28] and
  • No repair work is taking place.[28]

Loading cargo

Oil is pumped on and off the ship by way of connections made at the cargo manifold.

Loading an oil tanker consists primarily of pumping cargo into the ship's tanks.[28] As oil enters the tank, the vapors inside the tank must be somehow expelled.[28] Depending on local regulations, the vapors can be expelled into the atmosphere or discharged back to the pumping station by way of a vapor recovery line.[28] It is also common for the ship to move water balast during the loading of cargo to maintain proper trim.

Loading starts slowly at a low pressure to ensure that equipment is working correctly and that connections are secure. Then a steady pressure is achieved and held until the "topping-off" phase when the tanks are nearly full.[28] Topping off is a very dangerous time in handling oil, and the procedure is handled particularly carefully.[28] Tank-gauging equipment is used to tell the person in charge how much space is left in the tank, and all tankers have at least two independent methods for tank-gauging.[28] As the tanker becomes full, crew members open and close valves to direct the flow of product and maintain close communication with the pumping facility to decrease and finally stop the flow of liquid.

Unloading cargo

This cargo pump aboard a VLCC can move 5,000 cubic meters of product per hour.

The process of moving oil off of a tanker is similar to loading, but has some key differences.[29] The first step in the operation is following the same pretransfer procedures as used in loading.[30] When the transfer begins, it is the ship's cargo pumps that are used to move the product ashore.[30] As in loading, the transfer starts at low pressure to ensure that equipment is working correctly and that connections are secure.[30] Then a steady pressure is achieved and held during the operation.[31] While pumping, tank levels are carefully watched and key locations, such as the connection at the cargo manifold and the ship's pumproom are constantly monitored.[29] Under the direction of the person in charge, crew members open and close valves to direct the flow of product and maintain close communication with the receiving facility to decrease and finally stop the flow of liquid.[29]

Tank cleaning

Tanks must be cleaned from time to time for various reasons. One reason is to change the type of product carried inside a tank. Also, when tanks are to be inspected or maintenance must be performed within a tank, it must be not only cleaned, but made "gas-free."[32]

On most crude-oil tankers, a special crude oil washing (COW) system is part of the cleaning process.[32] The COW system circulates part of the cargo through the fixed tank-cleaning system to remove wax and asphaltic deposits.[32]

Tanks that carry less viscous cargoes are washed with water. Fixed and portable water washing systems exist.[32] Some systems use rotating high-pressure water jets to spray hot water on all the internal surfaces of the tank.[32] As the spraying takes place, the liquid is pumped out of the tank.[32]

After a tank is cleaned, it may be gas-freed."[33] This involves blowing fresh air into the tank to force accumulated gasses out.[33] Specially trained personnel monitor the tank's atmosphere, often using hand-held gas indicators which measure the percentage of hydrocarbons present.[33] When this percentage drops below a value specified in tank-vessel regulations, the tank is declared to be gas-free.[33]

After a tank is gas-free, it may be further hand-cleaned in a process referred to as "mucking." This task is generally done by able seamen and deck officers using tools such as mops, buckets, rags and sponges.

Specialized designs

The Royal Australian Navy auxiliary oiler replenishment ship HMAS Success (AOR 304) refuels the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and the USS Cowpens (CG 63).

A naval oiler (called a fleet tanker in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary) is distinguished from other oil tankers by their ability to deliver fuel while making way in a process known as underway replenishment. Prior to the advent of this technique, naval vessels refuelled while in port or at anchor.

The fleet oiler USS Maumee, launched on April 17, 1915, pioneered the technique of underway replenishment.[34] A large ship at the time, at 14,500 deadweight tons, Maumee began refuelling destroyers en route to Britain at the outset of World War I.[34] This technique enabled the Navy to keep its fleets at sea for extended periods, with a far greater range independent of the availability of a friendly port.[34] This independence proved crucial to victory in World War II by the ships commanded by Fleet Admiral Nimitz who, as Maumee’s executive officer, had played a key role in developing underway replenishment.[34]

Underway replenishment was quickly adopted by other navies. One example of this is the Australian fleet oiler HMAS Kurumba which provided underway replenishment services in the United Kingdom's Royal Navy from 1917 to 1919.[35]

Naval oilers may also carry water, ammunition, rations, stores and personnel.[35]

Ore-bulk-oil carriers

The OBO-carrier Maya. The picture is showing both the cargo hold hatches used for bulk and the pipes used for oil

An Ore-bulk-oil carrier, also known as combination carrier or OBO, is a ship designed to be capable of carrying wet or dry cargoes. The idea is to reduce the number of empty (ballast) voyages, in which large ships only carry a cargo one way and return empty for another. These are a feature of the larger bulk trades (e.g. crude oil from the Middle East, iron ore and coal from Australia, South Africa and Brazil).

Combination carriers found themselves specialising in one trade or the other, and their flexibility went very much unused. Very few were built after the 1980s, and the idea has rather fallen out of fashion. One of the more famous OBOs was the Derbyshire MV Derbyshire of 180,000 deadweight tonnes, which in September 1980 became the largest British ship ever lost at sea. It sank in a Pacific typhoon while carrying a cargo of iron ore from Sept-Îles in Canada to Japan.

A fleet of smaller, "river-sized" (several thousand tonnes) ore-bulk-oil carriers have been used for some decades on European Russia's waterways, primarily by Volgotanker. The Russian word for 'ore-bulk-oil carrier', nefterudovoz (нефтерудовоз, literally 'oil/ore carrier'), in combination with a number, is often used as a proper name for a ship, e.g. Nefterudovoz-51M'. [36][37]

Pollution

File:OilCleanupAfterValdezSpill.jpeg
The Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound.[38]

From time to time there have been accidents that have led to serious and catastrophic pollution. Another concern has been the pollution caused by careless cleaning of ships' tanks. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, fewer than 67 barrels (about 2,800 gallons) were spilled out of more than 4.2 billion barrels of petroleum delivered by tankers to the U.S. in 2005. The total volume of petroleum spilled from tankers annually in the U.S. has averaged fewer than 4,000 barrels annually from 1996-2005, including no marine incidents during 2005's record hurricane season. In fact, far more oil enters the oceans from natural sources and other incidents than from tanker spills.

However, it is telling that although the Exxon Valdez incident was one of the 20th century's most catastrophic environmental disasters, it could, in fact, have been far worse. Current media reports suggest that some 11 million gallons of oil was dumped on the Alaskan coast in that disaster. This equates to some 35,000 mts of cargo - the Exxon Valdez had the capacity to load about 215,000 mts.

Anti pollution control and measures

Following the Exxon Valdez incident, the United States passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90), which included a stipulation that all tankers entering its waters be double-hulled by 2015. Following the sinkings of the Erika (1999) and Prestige (2002), the European Union passed its own stringent anti-pollution packages (known as Erika I, II, and III), which also require all tankers entering its waters to be double-hulled by 2010. The Erika packages are controversial because they introduced the new legal concept of "serious negligence".[39]

Today's fleet

Flag states

As of 2007, the United States Central Intelligence Agency statistics count 4,295 oil tankers of 1,000 deadweight tons or greater worldwide.[40] Panama was the world's largest flag state for oil tankers, with 528 of the vessels in its registry.[40] Six other flag states had more than 200 registered oil tankers: Liberia (464), Singapore (355), China (252), Russia (250), the Marshall Islands (234) and The Bahamas (209).[40] Former sea-powers the United States and the United Kingdom only had 59 and 27 registered oil tankers, respectively.[40]


See also

Template:Nautical portal

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-2.
  2. ^ Delgado, James (1988). "Falls of Clyde National Historic Landmark Study". Maritime Heritage Program. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  3. ^ Chisholm, 19:316.
  4. ^ a b c d Chisholm, 19:320.
  5. ^ a b c d Chisholm, 24:881.
  6. ^ Chisholm, 24:881-882.
  7. ^ Chisholm, 24:882.
  8. ^ Note: definitions of what size of tanker constitute what type e.g. whether a 320,000dwt tanker is VLCC or a ULCC, varies from broker to broker, lawyer to lawyer and ship owner to ship owner. As there is no set, standard, classification, there is no one 'correct' answer. All descriptions of X-size being an X-tanker should be treated with caution.
  9. ^ USCG PSIX
  10. ^ a b c d Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-3.
  11. ^ Energy Statistics > Oil > Consumption by country
  12. ^ These four sister ships were built by Hellespont Steamship Corporation at the Daewoo shipyard. They are currently named TI Asia, TI Europe, TI Oceania, and TI Africa.
  13. ^ Education Section: Basic Glossary. Tankers International.
  14. ^ The History Channel. Modern Marvels: Supertankers.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-24. Cite error: The named reference "tur824" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-25.
  17. ^ a b c d Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-4.
  18. ^ "Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998)". Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998)". Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998)". Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  21. ^ a b "Double-Hull Tanker Legislation: An Assessment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (1998)". Marine Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  22. ^ Joem K. Paik and Tak K. Lee, Damage and Residual Strength of Double-Hull Tankers in Grounding, International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, December 1995.
  23. ^ [http://www.earthtoys.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=07.02.01&article=green_ships Earthtoys - Emagazine
  24. ^ Double, double, oil and trouble in Fairplay International Shipping Weekly, 23 Jun 2005.
  25. ^ Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-1.
  26. ^ Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-6.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-7.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-8.
  29. ^ a b c Turpin and McEven, 1980:8-30.
  30. ^ a b c Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-9.
  31. ^ Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-10.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-12.
  33. ^ a b c d Hayler and Keever, 2003:14-13.
  34. ^ a b c d Navy Dept., Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Volume 6. ISBN 0160020301. Retrieved 23. {{cite book}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month=, |chapterurl=, and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonth= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ a b "Navy Contribution to Australian Maritime Operations". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  36. ^ Ship listing of the type "Nefterudovoz"
  37. ^ [http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/nefterudovoz51m.htm Ship photos - Nefterudovoz-51M
  38. ^ "Frequently asked questions about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill". State of Alaska.
  39. ^ European Parliament. Directive 2005/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements. Retrieved 02-22-2008. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |month=, |chapterurl=, and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ a b c d Central Intelligence Agency, 2007.

References

  • Sullivan, George (1978). Supertanker!: The Story of the World's Biggest Ships. Dodd, Mead. ISBN 0396075274.
  • Mitchell, William Harry (1987). Sailing Ship to Supertanker: The Hundred-Year Story of British Esso and Its Ships. Terence Dalton. ISBN 086138055X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Double double, toil and trouble. Fairplay International Shipping Magazine. 23 Jun 2005.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  • Devanny, Jack (2006). The Tankship Tromedy: the impending disaster in tankers. ISBN 0-9776479-0-0.
  • European Commission / European Maritime Safety Agency (2005). Double Hull Tankers: High Level Panel of Experts Report.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica (1911). "Petroleum". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th edition ed.). pp. 316–322. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessmonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  • Encyclopædia Britannica (1911). "Ship". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th edition ed.). pp. 881–889. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessmonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  • Hayler, William B. (2003). American Merchant Seaman's Manual. Cornell Maritime Pr. ISBN 0-87033-549-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Office of Data and Economic Analysis (2006). "World Merchant Fleet 2001–2005" (PDF). United States Maritime Administration. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Central Intelligence Agency (2007). CIA World Factbook 2008. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 1602390800. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |month=, |chapterurl=, |origdate=, and |coauthors= (help)
  • Turpin, Edward A. (1980). Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook (4th ed.). Centreville, MD: Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87038-056-X. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |month=, |chapterurl=, and |origdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)