MARINE insurer Skuld is warning tankers engaging in ship-to-ship oil transfers in West Africa of fines and vessel arrest for failing to notify authorities, and a risk of being a vulnerable to pirate attacks during such operations.
Skuld agents in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) have advised that the merchant marine authorities must be given advance notification of STS operations and provide approval, before they go ahead.
A fee of up to FCFA5 million (US$8,264) may be charged for this approval process, said Skuld.
Those being scrutinised take place in national waters (12 mile zone) or in the countries Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 miles.
A STS performed without an approval may result in significant fines and other legal action being taken.
Angolan authorities also require advance clearance for an STS, which means notifying the Angolan Navy of any planned operation, supplying the names and IMO numbers of involved vessels, likely date and location of operation and the name and quantity of the cargo to be transferred.
Upon completion of the operation, a statement of facts should be submitted to the Angolan Navy.
A failure to comply with these requirements may lead to an arrest of the vessel, fines and/or other consequences.
The decision to agree to an STS, be it in advance of a voyage or on an ad hoc basis, should always follow a careful risk management analysis, Skuld said.
There are a number of physical STS issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure any such operation is done safely, said Skuld, including a pre-STS assessment as well as monitoring throughout.
"There is a continuing risk of piracy in certain areas along the west coast of Africa. While most incidents appear to be in and around the Gulf of Guinea, there have been reports of incidents as far south as Angola," said the report.
Vessels that are stationary during a STS operation may be at particular risk, as they cannot use navigation to fend off of an attack.
Furthermore there have been instances where a purported STS operation may have been a ruse to lure a vessel in to an ambush, Skuld warned.
Therefore it is advisable to seek to conduct operations in areas where protection can be afforded by authorised bodies of the local coastal state.
It is important to note that it may not be legal to have foreign security personnel on board a vessel, armed or unarmed.