A tanker designed to carry refined petroleum products such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel in coated or stainless steel tanks.
Quick facts
Regulation
MARPOL Annex I
In practice
The trading flexibility of a product tanker depends on the quality and compatibility of its tank coatings and the sophistication of the heating and stripping systems. An operator may wish to carry white products such as jet fuel that require a pristine tank surface, or black products such as fuel oil that require heating coils. Tank change management — the sequence of cleaning, inspection, and certification needed to switch between cargo grades — is a critical commercial and environmental responsibility for the chief officer and engineer. Product tankers operating on the chemical trade boundary may be certified under both the IBC Code and MARPOL Annex I.
Regulatory detail & full definition
Product tankers carry refined petroleum products such as naphtha, gasoline, aviation turbine fuel, gasoil, and diesel in multiple independent cargo tanks, each coated with epoxy or zinc silicate paint or constructed from stainless steel to preserve cargo purity. They range from small coastal vessels of a few thousand DWT serving port storage terminals to medium range tankers of around 25,000 to 55,000 DWT and long range vessels up to 115,000 DWT on intercontinental trades. MARPOL Annex I applies to product tankers, requiring segregated ballast tanks, an inert gas system on larger units, and detailed cargo and ballast record-keeping in the Oil Record Book.
The trading flexibility of a product tanker depends on the quality and compatibility of its tank coatings and the sophistication of the heating and stripping systems. An operator may wish to carry white products such as jet fuel that require a pristine tank surface, or black products such as fuel oil that require heating coils. Tank change management — the sequence of cleaning, inspection, and certification needed to switch between cargo grades — is a critical commercial and environmental responsibility for the chief officer and engineer. Product tankers operating on the chemical trade boundary may be certified under both the IBC Code and MARPOL Annex I.