THE AUSTRALIAN Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a report regarding the breakaway and grounding of an oil tanker in the Brisbane river in February 2022.
The ATSB says the incident, which occurred during a significant weather event, illustrates the importance of clearly defined emergency and risk management arrangements.
On 27 February, 2022, oil products tanker CSC Friendship broke from its moorings when berthed at the Ampol wharf at the port of Brisbane, due to a period of heavy rainfall and flooding.
The ATSB investigation found that currents in the Brisbane River increased until they exceeded the design mooring limits of both the ship and the berth, the vessel breaking away from its moorings prior to 2300 that evening.
ATSB marine investigation manager Captain Vik Chaudhri said, “While weather conditions exceeded those initially forecast, the associated increased safety risk to shipping and the port was foreseeable”.
“Numerous warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology provided sufficient information to identify and assess the increased likelihood of a breakaway, and the current in the river had exceeded the operational limits of the berth and the ship’s mooring arrangements more than 14 hours prior to the breakaway – yet the ship remained at the berth.”
The vessel, loaded at the time with approximately 32,000 tonnes of petroleum products, was swept across the channel and grounded 400 metres downstream, despite the deployment of both the ship’s outboard anchor and the swift attendance of two tugs.
A port pilot later boarded the vessel and the ship was refloated roughly six hours after grounding.
During the recovery efforts, an attempt was made to retrieve the anchor, leading the ship to veer across the channel and ground again, close to Clara Rock, a charted hazard, before the anchor was slipped and the ship safely guided into Moreton Bay.
The ATSB’s investigation found Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ), whose responsibilities include the management of an emergency in the Port of Brisbane, did not have structured or formalised risk or emergency management processes or procedures.
“Consequently, MSQ was unable to adequately assess and respond to the risk posed by the river conditions and current,” Captain Chaudhri added.
The ATSB says MSQ has made significant changes to operations and systems in response to the incident and flood event, including policy and procedural updates, and capital improvements.
However, the ATSB said the safety action taken by MSQ, while significant, has not fully addressed the identified safety issue concerning its risk management processes and procedures to manage any type of emergency.
“Subsequently, the ATSB has issued a safety recommendation to MSQ to further improve these processes and procedures,” Captain Chaudhri explained.
The final report also notes safety actions taken by the pilotage provider, Poseidon Sea Pilots, who the investigation identified did not have procedures to manage predictable risks associated with increased river flow or pilotage operations outside normal conditions.
Further, the ATSB’s final report notes that Ampol had not considered the risk to the ship or the wharf due to increased river flow.
Captain Choudhir remarked the extent of actions by all three parties in the wake of the incident was “encouraging”.
