New MARPOL requirements for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of oil will come into force on 1 January 2011. MARPOL Annex I, Chapter 8, "Prevention of Pollution During Transfer of Oil Cargo Between Oil Tankers at Sea," will apply to oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage and above, and will require any oil tanker involved in oil cargo STS operations to have on board a vessel-specific plan describing how to conduct STS operations (the STS Plan). The STS Plan must be prepared in accordance with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) best practice guidelines for STS operations (IMO "Manual on Oil Pollution, Section 1, Prevention," as amended, and the International Chamber of Shipping [ICS] and Oil Companies International Marine Forum [OCIMF] "Ship-to-Ship Transfer Guide, Petroleum," fourth edition, 2005). The plan must be approved by the vessel's flag state Administration.
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