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Check with the vessel's
representative for reports of any unusual events that may have occurred
during the sea passage or at the previous port(s) and that may require
special vigilance during loading.
When appropriate, determine the
condition and suitability of the vessel's heating system. The
vessel's representative should confirm the vessel's ability to heat the
cargo as instructed. Check with shore personnel to ensure
that no special condition exist on shore that may adversely affect the
loading activity or measurement such as adverse weather or construction
work or access routes. A letter of protest should be issued
to any party failing to comply with recommended procedures.
Any operational procedures that
are incapable of yielding positive measurement control must be reviewed
and alternative procedures must be investigated.
For petroleum product cargoes,
it is necessary to determine which vessel tanks will be loaded, the
capacity of the tanks, the condition of the lines, the nature of the
vessel's last three cargoes and the method of cleaning of the cargo
tanks. This information is necessary in order to determine
the compatibility of the tanks with the product to be loaded.
On multi-grade vessels, it may
be necessary to load the vessel in a certain order to avoid
contamination of certain grades via the manifold and other cross over
pipelines. This should be discussed and the order by grade
and/or product should be agreed upon before loading operations begin.
If there is any question
concerning compatibility or contamination, all interested parties
should be notified and the questions resolved prior to commencement of
loading. If 'first-foot' samples are required, a decision on
the tanks to be used for such samples and the quantity of petroleum to
be loaded for the sample should be made.
The suggested checklist or
similar document should be used and submitted along with the completed
inspection report.
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Blending
If blending aboard the vessel
is involved, it is critical to ensure that all the volumes loaded are
in agreement with the volumes used to test the volumetric hand-blend
before loading. If the material contained in shore lines is
to be loaded, a line sample should be taken and included in the
volumetric hand-blend to be tested.
To aid blending, the heaviest
component may be loaded first, followed by the lighter
components. The volume should be gauged after each component
is loaded. The vessel's previous cargo and any on-board
quantities (OBQ) should be taken into consideration for their effect on
the blending operation. Blends may require adjustment to
maintain the mutually agreed upon blend specifications.
It
may be noted that vessel tank samples often will not be representative
of proportional hand-blends tested at the port of loading
Sections
of text taken from API - MPMS Chapter 17 Marine Measurement
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