Special requirements for Fixed or Floating Platforms as per MARPOL

• This regulation comes under MAPOL Annex I, Chapter 7 - Special Requirements for Fixed or Floating Platforms, Regulation 39

• This regulation applies to fixed or floating platforms including drilling rigs, floating production, storage and offloading facilities (FPSOs) used for the offshore production and storage of oil, and floating storage units (FSUs) used for the offshore storage of produced oil.

• Fixed or floating platforms when engaged in the exploration, exploitation and associated offshore processing of sea-bed mineral resources and other platforms shall comply with the requirements of this Annex applicable to ships of 400 gross tonnages and above other than oil tankers, except that:
• They shall be equipped as far as practicable with the installations required in regulation 12 (Tanks for Oil Residue) and regulation 14 (Oil Filtering Equipments) of this Annex.
• They shall keep a record of all operations involving oil or oily mixture discharges, in a form approved by the Administration.
• Subject to the provision of this Annex, Discharge of oil or oily mixture shall be prohibited except when the oil content of the discharge without dilution does not exceed 15 parts per million.
• There are five categories of discharge that may be associated with the operation of fixed or floating platforms covered by this regulation when engaged in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources namely:

1. Machinery Space Drainage
2. Offshore Processing Drainage
3. Production Water Drainage
4. Displacement Water Drainage
5. Contaminated Sea Water from Operational purposes such as:
• Produced oil tank cleaning water
• Produced oil tank hydrostatic testing water
• Water from Ballasting of the produced oil tank to carry out inspection by rafting

• Out of all the above-mentioned categories, the discharge of machinery space drainage and contaminated ballast is permitted subject to the guidelines of the regulation of this Annex. 

• The Verification of Compliance with this Annex in relation to FPSOs or FSUs should take account of the Guidelines developed by the Organization under the requirements of the Administration.

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