Flip book - Skuld

NEWS featureCargo/By Christian OttVice President Claims, Skuldchristian.ott@skuld.comPhoto: 1-images.noCarrying ilmenite sandKnow your cargoand your ship!In these difficult times, when regular cargoes are hard to find, it istempting to carry unfamiliar shipments and accept equally unfamiliarrisks. In these cases, it is important to learn about the cargo in advance,the place of origin and to ensure the vessel is suitable for its carriage.In a recent Skuld case, the crew was ableto fully mix the contaminated part of thecargo into the good cargo, and the claimwas lowered from the volume of the firstfoot to zero.Ilmenite sandA good example of an unusualcargo is ilmenite sand. This almostblackmineral is used, amongother things, for titanium extractionin paint production. The sand canbe found, for instance, in Africaand along the coasts of India,Australia and Malaysia.Ilmenite sand is very heavy, witha stowage factor of 0.36 m 3 /tonne(13 cu. ft to the ton), which meansproper trim is very important toensure vessel tank-top strengthis not exceeded.This gives rise to two considerations:(a) Does the vessel have asufficiently strong tank top?(b) Is the vessel and/or loadingport sufficiently equipped toensure proper trim?These points can be easily overlookedduring the rush of fixturenegotiation. Making sure that thevessel is fit for the intended voyageis key to ensuring successfultrading. If the vessel has weaktank-top strength and/or extratrim is required, but which localfacilities are unable to provide,then anticipated profits can quicklymelt away in a heated disputewhere a substantial settlement isclaimed for tank-top damage,additional loading costs andtime lost waiting for trimmingequipment to come into port.This is only exacerbated if the vesselis part- or fully-laden and suddenlyfinds itself in a state of unseaworthytrim and unable to sail.Liquefaction riskAlthough the cargo is particularlyheavy, it can come in fine-particlecondition where it can retain a lotof moisture. If it is laden in acountry prone to heavy monsoonrain or where transport andstorage facilities are basic, thenconcerns arise over cargo moisturecontent when loading. The clubhas provided advice before oncargoes, such as nickel ore, ironore and fluorspar, and recommendsthat vessel masters are fullyadvised of cargo liquefactionrisks prior to loading, whichshould always follow IMSBC andSOLAS regulations. If there areever any concerns, contact Skuldwithout delay.Sources: “Thomas on Stowage”and Nico Zurcher of HannafordForensic Services.Madagascar is one of the countries where ilmenite sand is found. Photo shows ilmeniterock sands in Fort Dauphin.Photo: Science Photo Librarybeacon / september 2012 11