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Location clearance

The vetting and clearance team provides location clearances for proposed downstream hydrocarbon transfer operations, to ensure that owned and chartered vessels used by bp and presented for port clearance comply with known requirements at nominated berths, mooring terminals and/or ports and can, as far as possible, be safely accommodated 

Where appropriate, a bp marine terminal assessment (BPTA) would be carried out to ascertain compliance with bp shipping minimum requirement for ship/shore interface. The assessment evaluates a terminal’s operational and safety performance against the OCIMF marine terminal management and self-assessment (MTMSA).

 

Where changes that affect the ship/shore interface are implemented within a terminal, bp shipping should be informed by e-mail through vetting@bp.com. Terminals should also submit details of their ship/shore interface by completing a ‘berth questionnaire’ and ‘port UKC questionnaire’.

 

Terminals are encouraged to provide both positive and negative feedback on vessels that call at their terminal while involved in bp operations. The vetting and clearance team will use this feedback to support safe and efficient operations. 

 

Vessel feedback by terminals should be provided by completing the 'terminal feedback on vessels' form. 

 

Data is also gathered from owners, operators and masters of vessels calling at terminals through the use of a ‘vessel feedback on terminals' questionnaire submitted by masters of vessels carrying out transfer operations. 

 

The audit and inspection team carries out marine terminal compliance assessments conducted by one or two bp shipping auditors with the consent of the terminal through standard questionnaire based on the OCIMF Minimum Baseline Criteria for Marine Terminals. 

 

The audit protocol involves briefings, a tour of the facility and feedback after the audit. Potential risks are identified, and recommendations made for risk mitigation. More than 50 standards are defined in the audit protocol covering areas such as security, port operations, moorings, environmental and fire protection, emergency preparedness, structural surveys and operations at buoy moorings. 

 

A request for this assessment should be submitted through the ‘terminal assessment request' form. 

 

The audit and inspection team also carries out ship/shore interface training on request. This training is a three-day programme for personnel employed at the ship/shore interface, such as jetty supervisors and operators, marine managers and ship operators. Requests for this training should be sent to goshinsa@bp.com.