Crude oil washing operations
32.—(1) Every oil tanker operating with crude oil washing systems as required by regulation 33 of Annex I must be provided with an Operations and Equipment Manual(1) describing the system and equipment in detail and specifying the operational procedures to be followed.
(2) The Operations and Equipment Manual must—
(a)be approved by the Secretary of State; and
(b)contain all the information set out in the specifications referred to in regulation 33.2 of Annex 1.
(3) If any alteration is made to the crude oil washing system the Operations and Equipment Manual must be revised accordingly, and the revision approved by the Secretary of State.
(4) Sufficient cargo tanks must be crude oil washed prior to each ballast voyage to ensure that, taking into account the tanker’s trading pattern and expected weather conditions, ballast water is put only into cargo tanks which have been crude oil washed.
(5) Except where an oil tanker to which this regulation applies carries crude oil which is not suitable for crude oil washing, the crude oil washing system of a tanker must be operated in accordance with the Operations and Equipment Manual.
See the standard format of the Crude Oil Washing Operation and Equipment Manual adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the Organization by resolution MEPC.3(12) adopted on 30th November 1979, amended by resolution MEPC.81(43) and adopted on 1st July 1999. A copy may be obtained from the IMO Library at www.imo.org.en/MediaCentre/Pages/Default.aspx or in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.