CRUDE OIL TANKER BASICS

The crude oil is maybe the most important cargo of those transported by sea over the last century. It provides people with the energy necessary to drive virtually everything. The present book was written by Captain P. Armitage with the ultimate intention to serve as a mandatory training for the second officers willing to move up to the position of Chief Officer - in fact it will be useful to every single ship officer working on a tanker and standing a cargo watch.

The content of this volume is covering absolutely everything starting from the fundamentals of the crude oil chemistry and up to the economics of today's oil market. Loading and discharge operations are deservedly treated as the critically important activities. When carrying out loading and discharge of the shipboard cargo, the accidents may seriously compromise the safety of the crew members, the ship herself as well as the environment.

Well developed and carefully reviewed plans supplemented with the standing instructions and established emergency procedures will significantly contribute to the success of the cargo operations and provide additional flexibility to the commercial operators. This volume puts decades of the practical experience into a quite concise format which is technical but still reader friendly. A copy of this book shall be in the library of every tanker officer for easy and ready reference at all times.