Regulation on Oil Filtering Equipment as Per MARPOL

• This regulation comes under MARPOL Annex I, Chapter 3 - Requirements for Machinery Spaces of All Ships, Part B - Equipment, Regulation 14.
  

• Any ship of 400 gross tonnages and above but less than 10,000 gross tonnages shall be fitted with oil filtering equipment complying with this regulation as mentioned below:

• Oil filtering equipment shall be of a design approved by the Administration with regards to the specification recommended by the Organization. 
• Oil filtering equipment shall ensure that any oily mixture discharged into the sea after passing through the system has an oil content not exceeding 15 parts per million.
• Any ship of 10,000 gross tonnages and above shall be fitted with oil filtering equipment complying with this regulation as mentioned below: 
• Oil filtering equipment shall be of a design approved by the Administration with regards to the specification recommended by the Organization and shall ensure that any oily mixture discharged into the sea after passing through the system has an oil content not exceeding 15 parts per million.
• In addition to that, it shall be provided with an alarm arrangement to indicate when this level cannot be maintained.
• The system shall also be provided with arrangements to ensure that any discharge of oily mixtures is automatically stopped when the oil content of the effluent exceeds 15 parts per million.
• Ships, such as hotel ships, storage vessels, etc., which are stationary except for non-cargo-carrying relocation voyages need not be provided with oil filtering equipment. Such ships shall be provided with a holding tank having a volume adequate for the total retention of oily bilge water on board, same shall be discharged subsequently to the reception facilities.
• The Administration shall ensure that ships of less than 400 gross tonnages are equipped, as far as practicable, to retain the oil or oily mixture onboard or discharges under the requirements of the annexe.
  

• The administration may waive the requirements of Oil filtering equipment for the following:

1. Any ship engaged exclusively on voyages within special areas or Arctic waters.
2. Any ship certified under the International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft engaged on a scheduled service with a turn-round time not exceeding 24 hours.
3. Any ship certified under the International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft engaged in non-passenger/cargo-carrying relocation voyages. 

• With regards to the provision of paragraphs 1, 2 & 3 above, the following condition shall comply with:

• The ship shall be fitted with a holding tank with a volume adequate for the total retention of oily bilge water.
• All oily bilge water is retained on board for subsequent discharge to reception facilities. 
• The Administration has to determine that adequate reception facilities are available to receive such an oily bilge mixture in a sufficient number of ports or terminals the ship calls. 
• The IOPP Certificate, when required, is endorsed to the effect that the ship is exclusively engaged on the voyages within special areas or Arctic waters or has been accepted as a high-speed craft for the purpose of this regulation and the service is identified.
• The quantity, time and port of discharge are recorded in the Oil Record Book Part I.

Reference: IMO Publications & Documents - International Conventions - MARPOL - Annex I