BARGES carrying crude shipments were advised to shift to moving other types of fuel if they fail to provide additional protection against oil spills, a shipping official said.

Asserting that the government will enforce a new ruling requiring oil carriers to use double-hulled vessels, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. said single-hulled oil carriers such as barges will be phased out in different stages by 2010. However, the Marina, as the Philippines’ shipping regulator, has yet to draft a policy for the complete phase out of these vessels.

“They should rather shift to carrying white oil if they do not have the money for the double-hull conversion,” he said in a Thursday briefing, adding that the industry has been consulted on the new measure beforehand. “The country will not allow the entry of international tankers carrying persistent oil that are not double-hulled.”

Earlier, tankers transporting oil products have been required to convert single-hull vessels to double-hull ships as part of compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s oil-pollution convention.

Double-hull vessels are less likely to cause oil spills in case of accidents since these feature two watertight layers, one serving as a hull and the other providing additional protection.

Suazo also said that operators who violate the rule “will be penalized.”

According to Suazo, the agency has already talked with the Philippine Coast Guard to apprehend those that fail to use double-hulled vessels for oil transport.

“Their vessels will be prevented [from discharging] because they will not be allowed to apply for a berth,” Suazo said.

In a related development, Suazo also expressed confidence that larger oil-tanker operators will be able to follow the said requirement since these companies can afford the extra expenditure. These tankers have long-term charter contracts with the Philippines’ three largest oil companies Pilipinas Shell, Chevron Corp. and Petron Corp.

He added that the April 2008 deadline for the double-hull requirement will not be extended.

Currently, an estimated 22 vessels carry persistent oil in the Philippines. Of the figure, eight were already converted to double-hulled while an additional six double-hulled vessels have been imported into the country after a ship sank and spilled oil off Guimaras Island in 2006.

CA junks PPA bid to dismiss damage suit by Batangas residents in port zone

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has junked a petition filed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) seeking to dismiss the complaint for damages filed by another group of residents whose properties were expropriated to allow the expansion of the Batangas port zone.

TOKYO—Most Japanese people oppose whaling expeditions to the Southern Ocean and are unaware the government provides a subsidy of about ¥500 million ($4.6 million) for its research program, a Greenpeace survey found.

CHICAGO—Transocean Inc., the world’s largest offshore oil and gas driller, said fourth-quarter net income jumped 70 percent as record crude prices and a scarcity of deep-water rigs lifted rents. The company’s shares had their biggest gain in more than five years.

AFTER agreeing to pay more for trucking services, logistics companies will ask their partners to enhance their safety measures by using better tires and proper lights and acquiring newer vehicles altogether.

BARGES carrying crude shipments were advised to shift to moving other types of fuel if they fail to provide additional protection against oil spills, a shipping official said.

LONDON—The cost of shipping Middle East crude to Asia, the world’s busiest route for supertankers, may curb a two-day decline because refineries still need to book most of the ships they need for March loading.