Another official publication developed and released by IACS - this one deals with the single deck container vessels constructed with the double side skin tanks, the passageways and double bottom in the area treated as the cargo space. These vessels are exclusively intended to transport containerized cargoes in their cargo holds as well as on the deck and on top of hatch covers.

The publication starts with the intro, followed by the chapter containing the applicable classification requirements for periodical surveys as well as damage/repair; the next chapter provides some necessary technical background that is to be possessed by the people conducting the surveys; then there is a chapter addressing the survey preparation/planning/execution matters. The book also provides the important information of the failures of the structural parts and instructions on the repairs to be done.

These Guidelines will be very useful for any surveyor performing the above mentioned surveys as well as to any ship owner, or operator, or even any crew member dealing with preparation of the vessel for class inspection and presenting all relevant items to the surveyor. The instructions provided in the book are really the ones to be followed in order to keep the ship safe.

This guidance was produced by SIGTTO to members' concerns about the some of the interpretations of the functional requirements for emergency shutdown systems; in particular, differences between the needs of the liquid natural gases industry and those of liquid petroleum gases industry. It was also aimed to encourage and promote the use of linked emergency shutdown systems at both LPG and LNG terminals, especially where cargo transfer rates are quite high or where they handle one of the cargoes stated in IGC Code 1993/Chapter 17.

However, this SIGTTO publication is not intended to contradict any international or national requirements or standards for operational practices at the liquefied gas ship-shore interface. One of the primary objectives of this guidance was to advise the operators/owners of gas carriers about the rollover-related issues. The rollover itself mainly refers to the quick release if the LNG vapor occurring when the layers of different densities of LNG are spontaneously mixed in a cargo or storage tank. While for the conventional onshore terminals all such issues are known and understood, for LNG vessels the associated circumstances are a bit unusual and have to be paid serious additional attention...

The content of the present Guide was prepared and officially released by the OCIMF, the world recognized and respected Oil Companies International Marine Forum organization, in order to give the design considerations relating to the marine terminals in connection with the fire protection and associated evacuation of people in case of emergency.

In this document, the term marine terminal will include docks and piers as well as the sea land constructions normally utilized for the crude oil transfer plus transfer of the liquefied gas and different petroleum products. Note that the definition of terminal is limited to that defined by the ISGOTT and does not include pumping arrangements, onshore tanks and other facilities that are not directly located on the loading facilities.

The authors discuss the established good practices that shall be used as the foundation when assessing the aforementioned fire protection and evacuation arrangements at the terminals, including both existing terminals and those proposed for future construction. The guidance provided in the pages of this document are relating to the ISGOTT/Chapters 12, 13 and will therefore be of practical interest to all people in the industry.

The present document prepared by the specialists of one of the most authoritative entities in the world of maritime shipping has been released with the specific aim to provide required technical guidance to the crew members of the vessels engaged in marine transportation of the natural liquefied gas. The material contained in the book draws on the remarkable experience of the authors, all of them being recognized members and experts of the gas industry.

Their collaboration has eventually resulted in this guidebook explaining the established best practices for the proper management of the shipping operations in the ports. The authors have also illuminated the profile of the risks commonly associated with the gas operations - this information will be useful to the persons administering the ports and providing the essential services.

The publication shall definitely be treated as a very essential guidance for all people dealing with the design, construction and subsequent operation and maintenance of the LNG terminals in the ports as the information contained in its pages can be used when conducting the reassessment of the risks that are subject to frequent changes taking into account the nature of the operations.

The first introductory part of this SIGTTO-released document says that it has been written following numerous reports from the members of the present international organization, on the confusion and misunderstanding noticed between some ship and jetty operators; that is main reason why it has been released and please note that this document mainly pertains to terminals where rigid transfer arms are employed.

The principal objective of this report was to disconnect the arms in such a way that would totally eliminate the possible risks of release of the liquid and, in addition, reduce the release of the cargo vapor to the environment to a practically achievable minimum. In order to safely and timely conduct this operation, it is critically important that a good and carefully thought out procedure has been established and that the communication between people on board and on shore is reliable and permanent, since both of them carry the responsibility for safety during subject operation.

Among the most important aspects covered within this report there are drain system, isolation of valves, liquid removal, purging flammable vapors, verification, disconnection of the cargo manifolds etc. The annexes at the end provide case studies and example procedures...

The main purpose of this publication called BMP and forming a part of the Industry Best Management Practices series - is to provide all required assistance to the crew members and bridge teams of the ships engaged in the trade in the areas mentioned in the title and give them the information that would help them to avoid or delay possible piracy attacks off the Somalia coast plus in the Arabian Sea are and Gulf of Aden, or to deter them.

The application of the recommendations contained in this booklet will make a significant difference in prevention of the ship turning into a piracy victim. The extent to which the guidance provided in the pages of this volume is followed, will always have to be at the final discretion of the decision makers, i.e. Master and Ship Operator. Here is the list of topics covered: Somali Pirate Activity, Typical Pirate Attacks, Risk Assessment, Company Planning, Master's Planning, Implementing BMP, Voyage Planning, Self Protection Measures.

The readers will know what to do if a pirate attack is imminent, if boarded by maritime pirates, and in the Event of Military Action, Updating BMP, Post Incident Reporting. A definitely must have volume on board vessels undertaking voyages in those areas.

This is the official SIGTTO publication covering one of the most important aspects of the marine transportation of the liquefied gases; their nature requires that same is carried out in closed containers, considering the temperatures and pressures involved. It is therefore critical to properly quantify the transported cargo and this, in turn, will require complex procedures and considerations.

Another item to consider and to add to the complexity is the number of different calculation procedures, each for the specific accuracy level and value. It is essential to have a thorough understanding of the differences between above stated procedure in order to clearly get the values of the loaded and discharged cargo. Recognizing the necessity for a good guidance on these matters, the SIGTTO organization developed and released this second edition of the monograph.

The contents of this book have been fully updated and revised by the recognized experts in the field. The info contained in the monograph will serve as a background to the people working in the shipping organizations, and whose day to day activities involve dealing with the LNG custody transfer. However, it will be equally interested and useful for self-education.

The present fourth edition of this OCIMF publication (first published in several decades ago, in 1971 and subsequently revised three times) in order to reflect the industry developments. This release edition does not contain any significant changes to the content of the document relating to the cargo/bunker manifolds as well as any associated equipment on board.

However, the authors of this volume have added a completely new Annex to the main body of the paper, willing to take into consideration the technical requirements that are there in a number of terminals and applicable to the tankers to transfer the cargo vapors to the shore-located facilities. We would also like to underline the fact that those recommendations have been provided with the sole intention to provide the required regulatory guidance to the  operators of the vessels trading to the terminals where the installation of the vapor collection systems is mandatory.

The recommendations are supplementing the IMO-developed uniform safety design standards that are applicable to the shipboard marine vapor recovery systems as well as the USCG-issued regulations addressing the same matter. They shall only be treated as relating to the uniform manifold arrangements and shall not be considered applicable in any other cases.