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12 Sayurusara 2020 December
equipped with pumps and machineries for cargo Explosion. As the main cause, a boiler explosion
loading and unloading and considered the second may have happened due to; Fuel dripping inside
most dangerous area in a tanker, next to the cargo the furnace of the boiler (if the dripping is more
tanks (Council, 1991).There are two void spaces and the boiler is fired after an interval it can lead to
in between Engine room and the crude oil tanks explosion), Misfiring, Overheating of boiler due to
in this type of ships. Adjacent to the Engine room loss of water circulation, No pre and post purging
there are two ‘Slop’ tanks made to retain all slop and Exhaust gas boiler fire (Kantharia , 2020). In
on board; cargo drainage, sludge, washings, and this case, fire may have broken out due to blasting
other oil residues. And next to that is the Pump of main boiler caused by high pressure generated
room. So, those compartments in addition to the (lower water level) or due to contacting of burner
surrounded ballast tanks, act as a barrier or buffer diesel leaked from lines with heated surfaces. Actual
zone against the spreading of fire towards cargo cause yet to be known as the salvors could not
tanks in this case. complete the investigation due to the atmosphere
is not within the threshold limit for salvors to
Ships of this type are designed paying continue with pumping / skimming and survey.
considerable attention to possible fire hazards.
Hence, Portable Fire Extinguishers, Water Going Through Past Accidents
sprinkler system and High Expansion Foam
system with option for operating by sealing the According to Lloyd's Register of Shipping,
engine room compartment are available. It is still 1990, the vast majority of casualties out at sea
doubtful whether the fire extinguishing systems do not result in pollution. Only 6% (518) of the
onboard were non-operational, not activated or accidents reported in an assessment of 9,276
they could not operate due to exigency and panic. accidents, resulted n oil outflow. Yet, it is noteworthy
to understand that, fires and explosions as the
Possible Causes for the Incident... initiating cause produced the greatest outflow of
the 50 largest spills (in volume) in the world from
Boilers onboard such ships produce high 1960 - 1989 and, was resulting from relatively
pressure steam either using exhaust and or by small number of fire and explosion incidents.
burning Diesel. There are two Boilers onboard Examples are; the Khark 5, which sustained an
(Engine Room) as main and auxiliary Boilers. explosion and fire leading to release of 76,000 tons
Main one for heating the Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) of crude oil off Morocco in 1989 (the 11th largest
used to run the Main Engine and the other one spill since 1960), and the Mega Borg, which caught
for maintaining the heat (viscosity) of crude oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas in 1990 losing
and to pumping inert gas. HFO is of a tar-like 14,000 tons of crude. Fires and explosions also
consistency and also known as bunker fuel, or may cause pollution following a collision or other
residual fuel oil and contaminated with several accident. Tanker spill databases are often unclear
different compounds including aromatics, sulfur as to whether the ‘cause’ refers to the casualty or
and nitrogen, making emission upon combustion the final event leading to loss of oil. For example,
more polluting compared to other fuel oils. HFO in the world's third-largest spill, the Amoco Cadiz’s
has been used primarily by the shipping industry oil outflow to English Channel in 1978 was due to
due to its low cost (30% less expensive) compared stranding, while the casualty is attributed to failure
to all other fuel oils. of the steering system in 1978 (Council, 1991).
It is confirmed that an Top 20 Major Oil Spill Incidents with Location
explosion took place in the engine (source: Itopf.org)
room area and a fire broke out.
The reason is suspected to be due
to boiler explosion but yet to be
confirmed. So, it is worthwhile to
understand what the possible causes
of explosion inside such a ship are.
They are; Crankcase Explosion of
Ship’s Engine, Compressor Airline
Explosion, High Pressure Fuel
Line Bursting and Turbo Charger
equipped with pumps and machineries for cargo Explosion. As the main cause, a boiler explosion
loading and unloading and considered the second may have happened due to; Fuel dripping inside
most dangerous area in a tanker, next to the cargo the furnace of the boiler (if the dripping is more
tanks (Council, 1991).There are two void spaces and the boiler is fired after an interval it can lead to
in between Engine room and the crude oil tanks explosion), Misfiring, Overheating of boiler due to
in this type of ships. Adjacent to the Engine room loss of water circulation, No pre and post purging
there are two ‘Slop’ tanks made to retain all slop and Exhaust gas boiler fire (Kantharia , 2020). In
on board; cargo drainage, sludge, washings, and this case, fire may have broken out due to blasting
other oil residues. And next to that is the Pump of main boiler caused by high pressure generated
room. So, those compartments in addition to the (lower water level) or due to contacting of burner
surrounded ballast tanks, act as a barrier or buffer diesel leaked from lines with heated surfaces. Actual
zone against the spreading of fire towards cargo cause yet to be known as the salvors could not
tanks in this case. complete the investigation due to the atmosphere
is not within the threshold limit for salvors to
Ships of this type are designed paying continue with pumping / skimming and survey.
considerable attention to possible fire hazards.
Hence, Portable Fire Extinguishers, Water Going Through Past Accidents
sprinkler system and High Expansion Foam
system with option for operating by sealing the According to Lloyd's Register of Shipping,
engine room compartment are available. It is still 1990, the vast majority of casualties out at sea
doubtful whether the fire extinguishing systems do not result in pollution. Only 6% (518) of the
onboard were non-operational, not activated or accidents reported in an assessment of 9,276
they could not operate due to exigency and panic. accidents, resulted n oil outflow. Yet, it is noteworthy
to understand that, fires and explosions as the
Possible Causes for the Incident... initiating cause produced the greatest outflow of
the 50 largest spills (in volume) in the world from
Boilers onboard such ships produce high 1960 - 1989 and, was resulting from relatively
pressure steam either using exhaust and or by small number of fire and explosion incidents.
burning Diesel. There are two Boilers onboard Examples are; the Khark 5, which sustained an
(Engine Room) as main and auxiliary Boilers. explosion and fire leading to release of 76,000 tons
Main one for heating the Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) of crude oil off Morocco in 1989 (the 11th largest
used to run the Main Engine and the other one spill since 1960), and the Mega Borg, which caught
for maintaining the heat (viscosity) of crude oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas in 1990 losing
and to pumping inert gas. HFO is of a tar-like 14,000 tons of crude. Fires and explosions also
consistency and also known as bunker fuel, or may cause pollution following a collision or other
residual fuel oil and contaminated with several accident. Tanker spill databases are often unclear
different compounds including aromatics, sulfur as to whether the ‘cause’ refers to the casualty or
and nitrogen, making emission upon combustion the final event leading to loss of oil. For example,
more polluting compared to other fuel oils. HFO in the world's third-largest spill, the Amoco Cadiz’s
has been used primarily by the shipping industry oil outflow to English Channel in 1978 was due to
due to its low cost (30% less expensive) compared stranding, while the casualty is attributed to failure
to all other fuel oils. of the steering system in 1978 (Council, 1991).
It is confirmed that an Top 20 Major Oil Spill Incidents with Location
explosion took place in the engine (source: Itopf.org)
room area and a fire broke out.
The reason is suspected to be due
to boiler explosion but yet to be
confirmed. So, it is worthwhile to
understand what the possible causes
of explosion inside such a ship are.
They are; Crankcase Explosion of
Ship’s Engine, Compressor Airline
Explosion, High Pressure Fuel
Line Bursting and Turbo Charger
