Liquefied Gas Carrier

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Liquefied Gas carrier guide - Planning cargo operations

Carrying and handling liquefied gas cargo onboard poses significant potential hazards including risk of injury or death,threats to environment and each person working on a gas carrier and terminal ashore needs to understand the risks involved, obtain the necessary training and take all the needed precautions.



The procedures outlined here should be considered as general guidance only; there is considerable variation in the design of cargo containment and cargo handling systems, and specific instructions should be prepared for inclusion in the cargo operations manual for individual ships. These instructions should be carefully studied by all personnel involved in cargo handling operations.




Purpose of cargo planning

The purpose planning cargo handling, based on known parameters, is to evaluate the operation, in order to minimize the possibility of encountering unexpected and critical operational situations. If unforeseen situations develop, the plan shall help the Operator to find alternative operational methods at short notice and avoid being taken by surprise. The plan must be prepared and presented in a suitable layout and include the main details of the operation from beginning to end. The loading/discharging computer must be used during the planning. Reference documentation such as the vessel’s cargo handling manual, the SIGTTO guide, MARPOL etc must be consulted as necessary.


Appraisal phase

All available information should be Collected prior to the planning. Information such as:
  1. Relevant information given in the charter party
  2. Relevant information received from the Terminal
  3. Relevant information regarding the cargo carried
  4. Information in the “SIGTTO” Guide
  5. Relevant information from the “Cargo Manual”
  6. Relevant information from ISPS and SSP Plans
  7. Relevant information from Vessels Contingency Plan
  8. Relevant information from SOPEP
  9. Information received from Agent /Owner representatives (forecast, ramp up/down, arms connection, etc.)
  10. Terminal Regulations

Cargo handling planning - Planning phase

“Worst-case” Scenarios:
The operation should be planned to:
  1. Keep within terminal, national and international rules and regulations
  2. If, despite precautions, something should go wrong, the officer in charge should be capable of taking the appropriate counter-measures at the right time and in the correct order
  3. Organize the staff involved in a safe and efficient way

The Cargo Handling Plan should show:
  1. General information (voyage Number, Cargo onboard, Port, Date, departure heel required)
  2. Stability, general information on arrival and departure (Draft, GM, Displacement, Deadweight, Cargo, Ballast, F.O., D.O., and F.W.) having due regard to the specific vessel operating manuals.
  3. Cargo Tanks, information on arrival and departure (Equator temperature, bottom temperature, vapour temperature, liquid heater temperature, tank pressures, pump to be used for cooling down
  4. Detailed sequences of the whole operation from vessel-All-Fast to Gangway-Off

The Graphic Discharge plan should include
List of documents to be completed, including:
  1. How to complete them
  2. Who should complete them
  3. When they should complete them
  4. How they should be distributed

Cargo planning - Loading operation guidelines

Check-ups after arrival :
Other operations:
Warm ESD :
Arm Cooldown :
Arm Cooldown Completed :

Start Loading :
Full Rate :

Cargo planning – Unloading operation guidelines

Check-ups after arrival : Moorings properly stored on working drums
Other preparations :
Warm ESD
Arm Cooldown :
Arm Cooldown Completed :
Start Discharge :
Full Rate :

Cargo planning - Cargo operation guidelines

Check-up before arrival :
Check-ups after arrival :
Other preparations
Warm ESD

Cargo handling - During operations

The factors to be taken into account include :
  1. Reliability of the equipment
  2. S.F. and B.M. condition throughout the operation
  3. Tank pressures and temperatures.
  4. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
  5. Current/tide conditions
  6. Sufficient staff employed during the various stages of the operations
  7. Maintaining good communications between ship staff, Officer in charge and the shore terminal Officer in charge
  8. Monitoring the safe mooring of the vessel
  9. Restrictions regarding the under-keel clearance

Continuous monitoring of the operations:

Cargo handling - Recording

Typical factors to be recorded include:
  1. Communications with the terminal, cargo owner, charterer, agent.
  2. Start/stop of cargo, ballast, stripping pumps and reason, if applicable
  3. Draft and trim
  4. Equipment error, breakdown
  5. Extreme meteorological conditions
  6. Unexpected current/tide conditions
  7. Mooring related conditions





Below is more guideline for safe cargo operation on board gas carriers

Damage stability guideline - cargo loading limitations & use of loading computer

Procedure for commissioning the cargo system

Preparation for Cargo Transfer

Procedure for discussion prior cargo transfer

Procedure for loading Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Cargo Conditioning in Liquefied Gas Carriers

Cargo Transfer between Vessels (STS Operation)

Procedure for segregation of Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Stripping Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Changing Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Displacing Atmosphere with Inert Gas (Inerting)

Displacing with Vapour of the Next Cargo (Purging)

Required cargo information prior loading

Details of various cargo handling equipment onboard

Liquefied gas cargo vapour characteristics

Liquefied gas cargo - low temperature effects

Liquefied gas carrier -monitoring cargo pressure

Cargo emergency shutdown requirement for liquefied gas carrier

Gas analyzing equipment

Custody Transfer Measurement (CTM) System

Cargo conditioning, reliquefaction and boil-off control requirement for a liquefied gas carrier

Cargo Containment Systems in Liquefied Gas Carriers

cargo emergency shutdown requirement

damage stability guideline for liquefied gas carriers

Various Cargo handling equipments onboard

Cargo hoses connection guideline

Documents accompanying a liquid gas cargo

How LNG transferred from shore to ships cargo tanks ?

Cargo operation guideline onboard a liquefied gas carrier

Cargo piping Systems in Liquefied Gas Carriers

cargo planning requirement

cargo and pumproom safety precautions

cargo stripping guideline

Emergency response for cargo system leaks

Emergency response for cargo tank rupture

Risk of overfilling of cargo tank during loading onboard a liquefied gas carrier

Preparation for cargo transfer

cargo transfer between vessels- safety guideline







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