The objective of this executive report is to deepen knowledge about the urgent need for standardization of characteristics and evaluations of terminals that move oil and derivatives in the world, increasing efficiency and operational safety.

The authors of the document are André Machado Freitas, Manoel Henrique Ferreira, Luciano Maldonado García and Rosemberg Pinto Pestana, technicians of Transpetro.

Around 95% of international trade is carried out by 75,000 ships across the seas of the world. Oil and its derivatives account for approximately 35% of the overall cargo.

The use of ships for the transportation of oil and derivatives grew along with the demand for the product.

The report mentions the different business forums at the global level that somehow contribute to improve the operational efficiency and safety of terminals, such as ARPEL and OCIMF, among others.

Created in 1970, OCIMF gathers 79 oil companies from the whole world that work with marine terminals and/or ships. 

The authors state that these forums enable the evolution of standardization in management, procedures and equipment, issuing new publications periodically.

They point out, “one of the main tools of standardization is the dissemination of good practices.”

One of the tools quoted in the document is the Project "Marine Terminal Information System" (MTIS) of OCIMF.

It is a global program to ensure that terminals reach a high standard of safety and environmental protection.

“The MTIS has proved to be an indispensable tool for us to have a database that will allow us to continue to increase safety and operational efficiency of terminals throughout the world,” the authors conclude.

The executive report is available on ARPEL website and may be downloaded from this link: https://arpel.org/library/publication/410/