Oil
tankers transport some 1,800 million tonnes of crude oil around the world
by sea including 50 percent of U.S. oil imports (crude oil and refined
products). Most of the time, oil is transported quietly and safely.
Measures
introduced by IMO have helped ensure that the majority of oil tankers are
safely built and operated and are constructed to reduce the amount of oil
spilled in the event of an accident. Operational pollution, such as from
routine tank cleaning operations, has also been cut.
The most
important regulations for preventing pollution by oil from ships are
contained in Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating
thereto (MARPOL
73/78), The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS), 1974 also includes special requirements for tankers.
