equipment failures can cause large spills at any time [22]. Advanced 

 design, construction and operation of ships and terminals can reduce the 

 potential for disturbance. 



4.19.1 Summary 



Marine transportation systems include all modes of surface transport 

 of oil and gas, principally oil tankers, oil barges and LNG carriers. 

 Submarine pipelines for oil and gas transport are covered in Subproject 20. 

 These transport systems provide the links between many diverse oil -related 

 facilities, including offshore platforms, refineries, onshore terminals 

 and LNG regasification plants. 



Equipment for transferring oil and gas between a facility and a ship 

 is also a part of marine transportation systems. Flexible hoses, fixed 

 couplings, pumps and metering devices are the principal system components. 



The major disturbances caused by marine transportation of oil and 

 gas are: (1) oil spills, (2) routine discharges of oily ballast and bilge 

 waters and tank cleaning water, and (3) LNG releases. LNG releases are 

 of the most direct human concern because of the danger of a disastrous 

 fire in a heavily inhabited area. Oil spills are less directly hazardous 

 to humans but have serious short- and long-term effects on fish and wild- 

 life. Discharges of polluted bilge water add to the potential for adverse 

 effects. Figure 49 illustrates some pathways of oil input to the oceans. 



Figure 49. Pathways of oil input to ocean waters (Source: 

 Reference 166). 



NON-ACCIDENTAL 

 NORMAL OPERATION 

 INPUTS 



ACCIDENTAL 

 INPUTS 



187 



