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Abbreviation: LOT

Pre-COW practice of letting tank washings settle, decanting the water, and loading new cargo on top of the oil residue.

In practice

Largely retired in modern fleets. Where still used, the cargo officer documents tank washings, settling time, and ODME readings in the Oil Record Book Part II. Improper LOT followed by overboard discharge is the classic source of MARPOL Annex I prosecutions.

Regulatory detail & full definition

Replaced largely by Crude Oil Washing under MARPOL Annex I but still permitted for some product tankers and in certain circumstances. The retained slop is mixed into the next cargo. Discharge of the separated water is governed by the 1/15,000 rule and Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment (ODME).

Authoritative source: MARPOL Annex I (Oil) ↗

Crude Oil Washing
MARPOL Annex I

Source: MARPOL Annex I Reg. 34 (control of discharge of oil)

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Load on Top

In practice

Related

Load on Top

In practice

Related