Richards Butler, Hong Kong, has provided us with the following information.
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We are aware of three casualties which have occurred in the past three months of vessels loaded with Chinese fluorspar cargo carried from Hong Kong. Given the prevalence of the instances in a short period of time, it seems a sensible precaution to advise your respective members of the dangers of carrying this cargo.
Of the three vessel which have carried the cargo, each developed a severe list, in one instance causing the vessel to be lost following capsize off Sri Lanka and in the second to cause the crew to abandon the vessel resulting in her grounding on the Chinese coast. The third limped into Immingham. In at least one cargo, free water developed on the cargo surface during carriage.
It appears that shippers are providing only cargo moisture contents and it appears that no information is being provided by shippers regarding the flow properties of the cargo. I would recommend that any owners/charterers intending to fix fluorspar from Hong Kong or other Chinese ports practice extreme caution and fully familiarise themselves with the relevant sections of the Bulk Code before agreeing to load/carry this commodity.
As described in Sections 7, 8 and Appendix A of the IMO Bulk Code, mineral cargoes which contain moisture and a proportion of fine particles can undergo liquefaction during ocean transport if shipped above a critical moisture point. The list of cargoes in Appendix A of the Bulk Code is not exhaustive, and some forms of fluorspar are known to liquefy thereby impairing the vessel’s stability.
To prevent hazardous liquefaction occurring, the IMO Bulk Code requires the flow properties of subject cargoes to be tested and subsequently certified by shippers prior to loading. Cargo should not be loaded if their moisture content exceeds the certified Transportable Moisture Limit.
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