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Cargo Operations Best Practices

All cargo operations require careful advance planning and communication between ship and terminal personnel. Plans may need modification due to changing circumstances, which should be formally recorded and communicated. Before cargo loading or unloading begins, the ship's cargo pipelines and valves must be correctly set by a responsible officer and independently checked. To avoid pressure surges, valves should not be closed against liquid flow except in emergencies. Exchanging information and agreeing on flow control between ship and terminal can help prevent pressure surges from rapid valve closure or pump speed changes. Butterfly and check valves must be fully open to avoid sudden forced closure that could damage equipment.

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124 views2 pages

Cargo Operations Best Practices

All cargo operations require careful advance planning and communication between ship and terminal personnel. Plans may need modification due to changing circumstances, which should be formally recorded and communicated. Before cargo loading or unloading begins, the ship's cargo pipelines and valves must be correctly set by a responsible officer and independently checked. To avoid pressure surges, valves should not be closed against liquid flow except in emergencies. Exchanging information and agreeing on flow control between ship and terminal can help prevent pressure surges from rapid valve closure or pump speed changes. Butterfly and check valves must be fully open to avoid sudden forced closure that could damage equipment.

Uploaded by

Olink Achmad Kafaillah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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General

All cargo operations should be carefully planned and documented well in advance of their
execution. The details of the plans should be discussed with all personnel, both on the ship and at
the terminal. Plans may need to be modified following consultation with the terminal and following
changing circumstances, either on board or ashore. Any changes should be formally recorded and
brought to the attention of all personnel involved with the operation. Chapter 22 contains details of
cargo plans and communications regarding them.

Setting of Lines and Valves

Before commencement of any loading or discharging operation, the ship’s cargo pipelines and
valves should be set as per the required loading or discharging plan by a Responsible Officer and
checked, independently, by other personnel.

Valve Operation

To avoid pressure surges, valves at the downstream end of a pipeline system should not be closed
against the flow of liquid, except in an emergency. This should be stressed to all personnel
responsible for cargo handling operations, both on the ship and at the terminal. (See Section 11.1.4
below.) In general, where pumps are used for cargo transfer, all valves in the transfer system (both
ship and shore) should be open before pumping begins, although the discharge valve of a centrifugal
pump may be kept closed until the pump is up to speed and the valve then opened slowly. In the
case of ships loading by gravity, the final valve to be opened should be that at the shore tank end of
the system.

If the flow is to be diverted from one tank to another, either the valve on the second tank should be
opened before the valve on the first tank is closed, or pumping should be stopped while the change
is being made. Valves that control liquid flow should be closed slowly. The time taken for power
operated valves to move from open to closed, and from closed to open, should be checked regularly
at their normal operating temperatures.

Pressure Surges

The incorrect operation of pumps and valves can produce pressure surges in a pipeline system.
These surges may be sufficiently severe to damage the pipeline, hoses or metal arms. One of the
most vulnerable parts of the system is the ship-to-shore connection. Pressure surges are produced
upstream of a closing valve and may become excessive if the valve is closed too quickly. They are
more likely to be severe where long pipelines and high flow rates are involved. Where the risk of
pressure surges exists, information should be exchanged and written agreement reached between
the ship and the terminal concerning the control of flow rates, the rate of valve closure, and pump
speeds. This should include the closure period of remotely controlled and automatic shutdown
valves. The agreement should be included in the operational plan. (Generation of pressure surges in
pipelines is discussed in more detail in Section 16.8.)
Butterfly and Non-Return (Check) Valves

Butterfly and pinned back non-return valves in ship and shore cargo systems have been known to
slam shut when cargo is flowing through them at high rates, thereby setting up very large surge
pressures which can cause line, hose or metal arm failures and even structural damage to jetties.
These failures are usually due to the valve disc not being completely parallel to, or fully withdrawn
from, the flow when in the open position. This can create a closing force that may shear either the
valve spindle, in the case of butterfly valves, or the hold open pin, in the case of pinned back non-
return valves. It is therefore important to check that all such valves are fully open when they are
passing cargo or ballast

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