Posted on 01/07/2018 1:31:05 AM PST by caww
A tanker carrying oil from Iran to South Korea was ablaze and spilling its cargo off eastern China Sunday after a collision with a cargo ship which left 32 tanker crew members missing.
The tanker, carrying 136,000 tonnes of oil condensate, caught fire after the collision Saturday night and its crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis were missing, China's transport ministry said in a statement.
The other vessel had been damaged but "without jeopardising the safety of the ship" and all its 21 Chinese crew had been rescued, it added.
The tanker was still ablaze Sunday,
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
Transferring gasoline at sea seems like a fairly tricky proposition.
I am suspicious. We know that the Iranians and the ChiComms are cheating on the sanctions and delivering fuel to the Norks. I think this was a fuel transfer operation gone wrong.
The question is, did this happen spontaneously, or did this accident have help?
32 crew members missing, what did they do all rush into the flames when the flames started?
Something don’t smell right.
What is oil condensate?
See post # 10
Thank goodness it’s not A USN vessel.
That's plausible, but the story says there was a collision. If the boat were to be taken down on purpose, why not use a torpedo? Ramming is so old school. Only the US Navy does that anymore (/S).
Prayers for all the sailors on the Sea.
Global warming, carbon footprint, Al Gore prophecy coming true. The end is near.
Yeah, maybe that “Oil Condensate” (gasoline? Kerosene) was going to be off-loaded to a Nork tanker somewhere and the South Koreans got wind of it. These are Iranians, right?
In an imperfect nutshell, the term "Oil Condensate", for ~legal purposes, describes product that is an unrefined oil that is not "crude oil", and therefore, not subject to US export laws regarding "crude oil" (as written), even though the stuff can't really be distinguished from light "crude oil".
The tanker was the give-way vessel (rule 16) in a crossing situation (rule 15) to the other vessel that was standon (rule 17). However being the standon vessel is a greater burden than being the give-way vessel. This is the infamous "SHALL-MAY-SHALL" nobody wants to get into.
RULE 17 Action by Stand-on Vessel
(a) (i) Where one of two vessels is to keep out of the way the other shall keep her course and speed.
(ii) The latter vessel may however take action to avoid collision by her maneuver alone, as soon as it becomes apparent to her that the vessel required to keep out of the way is not taking appropriate action in compliance with these Rules.
(b) When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision.
(c) A power-driven vessel which takes action in a crossing situation in accordance with subparagraph (a)(ii) of this Rule to avoid collision with another power-driven vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, not alter course to port for a vessel on her own port side.
(d) This Rule does not relieve the give-way vessel of her obligation to keep out of the way.
So it’s ‘unrefined’ product? Gotcha!
But still usable “as is”, to some degree.
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