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Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering (1998)

Chapter: Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×

Appendix E Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents

TABLE E-1 Summary of Oil Spills, California, 1992 to 1997

 

Terminals

Vesselsa

Year

Incidents

Quantity (gallons)

Incidents

Quantity (gallons)

1992

18

1,777

18

1,256

1993

20

1,088

16

479

1994

16

507

17

679

1995

20

228

28

3,158

1996

12

339

12

286

1997

9

163

9

461

Totals

95

4,102

100

6,319

Attributable to: Pipelines

11

3,009

V/L Ops.

4,266

a 34 incidents occurred during bunkering and accounted for 1,783 gallons. The largest spills were 1,000 gallons during the bunkering of a warship and 1,974 gallons during the loading of a barge. Source: California State Lands Commission

TABLE E-2 Summary of Oil Spills, Washington State, 1992 to 1997

No spills on record during lighterings.

Recent spill data indicates that approximately:

  • 75 percent was from vessels
  • 18 percent was from shore facilities
  • 7 percent was from pipelines

Causes:

  • 56 percent organization/management deficiencies
  • 20 percent equipment failures
  • 24 percent human error

There are no indications or records of any spills as a result of lighterings

 

Source: Washington Department of Ecology

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×

TABLE E-3 Chevron, Summary of Lightering, West Coast

 

 

Lightering

Quantity of Oil

Spills (gallons)

Offshore

San Clemente

1970–1979

250

75,000,000 Bbls.

0

Pacific Area Lightering

1996–1997

22

40,000,000 Bbls.

0

Inshore

L.A. Harbor

1980 to date

70

17,000,000 Bbls.

0

San Francisco Bay

1992–1997

57

8,000,000 Bbls.

0

Totals

 

399

140,000,000 Bbls.

0

 

Source: Chevron Shipping Co.

TABLE E-4 British Petroleum, Summary of Lightering, West Coast, 1987–1997

 

Lightering

Quantity of Oil

Spills (gallons)

Long Beach Harbor

98

34,855,585 Bbls.

5

San Francisco Bay

14

1,420,004 Bbls.

0

Puget Sound

159

27,241,360 Bbls.

0

Totals

271

63,000,000 Bbls.

0

Note: One spill (not related to lightering) was caused by a fracture in the bottom hull plate of a barge.

Source: British Petroleum

TABLE E-5 Exxon, Summary of Lightering, West Coast, San Francisco Harbor, 1992–1997

Year

Lightering

Quantity of Oil

Spills (gallons)

1991

187

40,765,767 Bbls.

0

1992

190

44,341,669 Bbls.

0

1993

187

42,298,141 Bbls.

0

1994

182

42,752,591 Bbls.

0

1995

189

44,825,615 Bbls.

0

1996

178

43,251,976 Bbls.

0

1997

103

23,269,520 Bbls.

0

Totals

1216

281,505,279 Bbls.

0

 

Source: Exxon

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×

TABLE E-6 Summary of West Coast Lightering

 

Lightering

Quantity of Oil

Exxon

1,212

281,500,000 Bbls.

British Petroleum

271

63,000,000 Bbls.

Chevron

399

140,000,000 Bbls.

Totals

1,882

484,500,000 Bbls.

Note: Total of 5 gallons was spilled due to a hull crack in a barge.

TABLE E-7 Chevron's Overall Lightering Experience, 1970 to 1997

 

Barrels Lightered

Lighterings

Spills (barrels)

Pascagoula

1,700,000,000

4,550

10

Other U.S. Gulf

120,000,000

360

 

Pacific Area Lightering (1996–1997)

30,000,000

32

 

Other West Coast

100,000,000

380

 

Totals

1,950,000,000

5,322

10

Figure E-1

San Francisco Bay lightering, 1997.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×
Page 111
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×
Page 112
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Data on West Coast Lightering Operations and Incidents." National Research Council. 1998. Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6312.
×
Page 113
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The safety record of lightering (the transfer of petroleum cargo at sea from a large tanker to smaller ones) has been excellent in U.S. waters in recent years, as evidenced by the very low rate of spillage of oil both in absolute terms and compared with all other tanker-related accidental spills. The lightering safety record is likely to be maintained or even improved in the future as overall quality improvements in the shipping industry are implemented. Risks can be reduced even further through measures that enhance sound lightering standards and practices, support cooperative industry efforts to maintain safety, and increase the availability of essential information to shipping companies and mariners. Only continued vigilance and attention to safety initiatives can avert serious accidents involving tankers carrying large volumes of oil.

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