OCIMF Releases Static Towing Assembly Guidelines

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has released a new information paper on static towing assembly.

The Static Towing Assembly Guidelines provide technical guidance on selecting fit for purpose towing assemblies that minimize risk of injury to crew members or damage to equipment and optimize the effectiveness of static towing operations. 

The guidelines supplement the Guidelines to Offshore Tanker Operations (GOTO) and should be read along with the relevant guidance for static towing operations.

The 92-page document discusses the technical factors that tug operators should consider, in collaboration with terminal operators, when selecting the components of towing assemblies for static towing operations at both Single Point Mooring and FPSO and FSO terminals. OCIMF does not recommend using ships’ lines in static towing operations. 

There is no international standard or, until now, any industry best practice guidance on static towing assemblies. Assembly configurations and compositions vary considerably across the industry and are usually selected based on operational experience. However, existing static towing assembly designs are rarely supported by technical studies, says OCIMF.

The guidelines are available here.