MIRACLE GUIDE

Annex I

Annex I deals with the prevention of pollution by oil. Ships are not allowed to discharge oily sludge from the combustion of heavy fuel oil into the sea. The discharge of oily bilge water and cargo residues of oil tankers is severely restricted; only very small quantities or strong dilutions are allowed. Oily mixtures and residues normally have to be discharged to port reception facilities. Similar regulations apply to residues from the cargoes of chemical tankers.
According to Annex I, an Oil Record Book has to be kept to record operations involving the disposal of oily residues (from the ship’s machinery space and cargo tanks).

Table I: Oil tankers of all sizes. Control of discharge of oil from cargo tank areas including cargo pump room
Within special areas OR outside special areas, within 50 nautical miles (nm) from the nearest land Outside special areas, more than 50 nm from the nearest land
ANY DISCHARGE IS PROHIBITED, except clean or segregated ballast

ANY DISCHARGE IS PROHIBITED, except clean or segregated ballast, or when:

  1. the tanker is proceeding en route; and
  2. the instantaneous rate of discharge of oil does not exceed 30 litres per nautical mile; and
  3. the total quantity of oil discharged into the sea does not exceed 1/15,000 (for tankers delivered before 31/12/1979) or 1/30,000 (for tankers delivered after 31/12/1979) of the total quantity of the particular cargo of which the residue formed a part; and
  4. the tanker has in operation an oil discharge monitoring and control system and a slop tank arrangement as required by regulations 29 and 31 of this Annex.
Special areas
  • Mediterranean Sea area
  • Baltic Sea area
  • Black Sea area
  • Red Sea area
  • ‚Gulfs‘ area: the sea area located north-west of the rhumb line between Ras al Hadd and Ras al Faseth
  • Gulf of Aden area
  • Antarctic area
  • North West European waters: the North Sea and its approaches, the Irish Sea and its approaches, the Celtic Sea, the English Channel and its approaches and part of the North East Atlantic immediately to the west of Ireland
  • Oman Area of the Arabian Sea
  • Southern South African waters