Bulk cargoes used to be carried in general cargoships. After World War 2, “Liberty ships” (a special class of ships that were built during World War 2) and other war-built ships (known as Victory, Fort, Ocean, Park-class ships) were also used to move bulk cargoes. From the late 1950s, changes were made to the design of…
Bulk carriers (bulkers) carry dry bulk cargoes: i.e. cargoes that can be handled by conveyor systems, chutes, grabs, or skips, e.g. minerals, grain, fertiliser, bulk sugar. Some bulkers carry neo-bulk cargoes: i.e. cargoes that are made up of a large number of individual pieces, but that can fill holds. e.g. pig iron, bagged cargoes, steel,…
Container shipments Here are some more terms that apply to cargo shipments: Shipper : The person or company that sends the cargo. Consignee : The person or company that receives the cargo. Full container load (FCL) One shipper has cargo in this container. One consignee will receive all the cargo in this container. FCL (Full Container Load) This…
Before containerisation Cargo used to be loaded using slings, nets, pallets (wooden boards on which cargo is placed), and other equipment Slings and nets were typical cargo handling techniques used for ships like this. Using the so-called “break-bulk” method of cargowork, Individual items of cargo had to be handled, often one at a time, meaning that…
Tankers are ships that carry liquid cargoes in tanks. Some are designed to carry crude oil (oil produced straight from under the surface of the earth) from the place of production to a port so that it can be piped to a refinery to be changed into useful oil products such a petrol, diesel, paraffin,…
Products tankers vary in capacity and therefore in size. Some are very small to enable them to enter small ports or to trade on inland waterways, canals and rivers; others are larger and carry oil products between ports that are further apart. Products tankers carry all kinds of liquids : Petrol Diesel Aircraft fuel Bitumen…
Some of these vessels are designed to carry LNG. Others carry LPG. LNG is Liquefied Natural Gas. (The gas that comes from gas reserves below the surface of the earth). LPG = Liquefied Petroleum Gas (The gas that is a by-product of the oil refining process.) LNG is liquefied by cooling it to -165˚C. This…
Prospecting Vessels These vessels play an important part in searching for oil and gas below the seabed. Others play a role in collecting that oil or gas and bringing it ashore for refining. Some undersea prospecting vessels have a Dynamic Positioning System that via links to satellites and links to a special propulsion system, can…
Concept of Ecosystems The marine ecosystem includes the oceans, the inter-tidal zone along shorelines, river mouths, lagoons and the seabed. Within that sphere, a system exists where minute plant life supports the lowest level of animal life, which, in turn, supports a longer chain where animals on one level are the prey (food) for those…
In some areas, the seabed is a source of diamonds, while beneath the seabed – sometimes at considerable depth – lie oil and gas, and perhaps other minerals. To find and recover diamonds or to prospect for and produce oil or gas from below the seabed present difficulties and require specialised ships and platforms. Indeed,…
