CARGO LIQUEFACTION — NICKEL AND IRON ORES

This publication by Gard consists of selected articles addressing the cargo liquefaction, namely happening to the nickel and iron ores cargo. It sheds some light on such the important aspects of this problem as liquefaction of unprocessed ores, describes shifting solid bulk cargoes, provides some update on the latest publications by Intercargo as well as IMSBC Code amendments; the insurance position is also dealt with.

In this booklet some of the important technical issues behind the disasters involving the transportation of unprocessed natural ores and nickel ore are considered. Liquefaction of the mineral ore cargo ay result in the cargo shift which, in turn, leads to the loss of stability. This has been one of the major causes of marine accidents for decades.

The main cause of the near misses and even casualties is the poor compliance of the seamen with the certification and testing requirements designed in order to ensure that those cargoes have been loaded with the moisture content being low enough to avoid the liquefaction during the voyage. The cargoes containing even a small number of fine particles and moisture, are considered to be at risk of liquefaction, though they are not necessarily appearing wet.