ALLEGED SPILLAGE OF CARGO

Taylor Marine were appointed on behalf of the ship owner's P&I Club to investigate the cause and extent of a reported spillage during discharge of a cargo of molasses carried on board an Oil / Chemical products tanker.  An electrical fault causing the cargo pumps to cease pumping culminated in the cargo overflowing through the hatch on to the vessel’s main deck, and eventually into the dock water, despite efforts by the crew to contain it. The alleged cause was back flow of cargo from the shore tank, which the shore pipeline’s non-return valve should have prevented. Visual inspection of the ship to shore pipeline connection showed this to be intact, and it was suggested the vessel’s cargo pump may have been running for some time prior to the electrical fault causing significant frothing of the cargo and subsequent spillage.