[110713.EN.SEA] NYK Carries Out Crisis-response Drill On LNG Vessel To Prepare Crews

JAPAN's shipping group NYK has carried out a crisis-response drill based on the scenario of a serious accident occurring on an LNG vessel operated by an NYK subsidiary.

This drill was part of the company's "Remember Nakanose Campaign", which has been conducted over July and August every year since 1998 to remind NYK Group members of the importance of safe operations and to ensure that lessons remain learned from the oil spill that occurred in July 1997 from the crude carrier Diamond Grace.

The laden 260,000 dwt Diamond Grace went aground in calm weather in daylight hours on the Nakanose Shoal in Tokyo Bay on July 2, 1998 after veering out of the prescribed sea lane and into the shallows. A total of 1,300 tonnes of UAE crude escaped from a single cargo tank in the 1994-build single hull tanker. It was later determined the a marker buoy was out of position.

The drill carried out a response to the scenario of a blackout on an LNG vessel while the vessel was sailing in Tokyo Bay, making it impossible for the vessel to continue under its own power. After that, according to the scenario, the vessel collided with a domestic product tanker, causing a fire to break out on the tanker with crewmen gone missing. The collision left a hole in the fore starboard side of the LNG carrier and seawater was flowing into the ballast tank.

Based on the assumption that the LNG vessel was involved in a serious accident, NYK established a crisis-management headquarters with the shipmanagement company in response to an urgent report from the vessel to its management company.

To control the fire on the tanker, NYK corresponded with related parties at its crisis management headquarters. NYK handled the accident so that power could be quickly restored to the LNG vessel.

NYK sent out press releases as the situation progressed, responded to media inquiries, and held a mock press conference at which NYK senior managing corporate officer Hitoshi Nagasawa and NYK corporate officer Tsutomu Shoji explained the accident to the media.

The drill outlined the importance of immediate and precise explanations of accidents to the public - in this case carried out by NYK LNG Shipmanagement Ltd, an NYK Group ship management company.

Source : HKSG.