Intercargo warns of nickel ore danger

Intercargo warns of nickel ore danger    The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners on Friday alerted owners and operators of bulk carriers of the dangers of liquefaction associated with the carriage of nickel concentrate (known as nickel ore) cargoes.
   'Nickel ore cargoes, which commonly emanate from ports and mines in tropical regions such as Indonesia, often have a very high moisture content and have previously been linked to a number of serious bulk carrier casualties involving loss of life due to liquefaction during the voyage,' Intercargo said in a statement. 'Intercargo has great concerns about the testing of nickel ore cargoes for moisture content and recognizes that ship owners and operators often have difficulty in obtaining accurate shippers' declarations relating to the cargo, prior to loading.'
   Intercargo said ship owners, operators and charterers should exercise 'extreme care' when dealing with nickel ore, and advocated the use of an independent cargo surveyor to check and report both the transportable moisture limit (TML) and the actual moisture content prior to loading.
   Intercargo represents 155 members engaged in the dry bulk trades.