STS Transfers at 50: Are We Meeting the Standards We Set?

In 1975, OCIMF made a groundbreaking contribution to maritime safety by publishing its first best practice guide, focused on STS transfers. Fifty years later, the forthcoming second edition of the STS Guide marks the sixth major publication dedicated to these operations, encapsulating decades of operational insight and industry experience. With such a comprehensive body of guidance now available, one might reasonably expect STS-related incidents to be rare. Yet, this is not the case.

Over the past five decades, the STS segment has seen the release of ten best practice publications, including, OCIMF's 2010 The Safe Transfer of Liquefied Gas in an Offshore Environment, SIGTTO's 2011 LNG Ship to Ship Transfer Guidelines ,Two best practice documents focused on STS Service Provider Management Systems

Significantly, six of these ten publications, i.e. 60%, have been released within the last 15 years. Since 2013 alone, OCIMF has issued five key publications addressing STS either directly or indirectly, including MEG4.

Despite this progress, the industry has witnessed more than six fatal STS incidents over the past decade, including hose failures, extensive pollution in specific regions, and two tragic superintendent embarkation/disembarkation accidents. Not to mention the hundrends of mooring line failures.

These incidents serve as a stark reminder that best practice on paper does not always translate into best practice in execution.

Execution requires expertise, skill, continuous monitoring, hands-on screening, thorough risk assessment, and constructive post-operation feedback.

At DYNAMARINe we fully support and commend OCIMF's ongoing leadership in promoting STS safety and sharing critical operational guidance. However, we believe it is equally important to engage constructively, ensuring that the updated STS Guide is not only adopted but effectively implemented throughout the industry, particularly through the involvement of prudent and well-managed STS Service Providers.

Based on our extensive experience, having managed numerous STS-related P&I claims, we can confirm that OCIMF's best practice publications are far more than static reference texts. In practice, they form the foundation of a robust Risk Management System, as required under Section 1.2.2.2 of the ISM Code. When the STS guidelines refer to "minimum risk" procedures, they are effectively setting the cornestone of RISK ASSESSMENT STANDARDS, which may later be interpreted as benchmarks for liability for Ship Operator in the event of an incident.

At DYNAMARINe, we also recognise that achieving and maintaining compliance with these standards demands significant resources, a challenge for operators who engage in STS operations only occasionally. This reality should be acknowledged in future initiatives that aim to promote wider adoption without compromising safety or quality.

This is not merely a theoretical position. Within the DYNAMARINe registered fleet (about 1000 ships), incident data reveals a ratio of just 1.4%, representing a 70% lower rater in STS-related incidents compared to non-registered vessels. This outcome is the result of dedicated expertise, structured operational oversight, and alignment with risk-based protocols from a dedicated team of experts, the DYNAMARINe Team.

We therefore urge all stakeholders to treat alignment with OCIMF's guidance not as a routine compliance obligation, but as a strategic commitment to safety, legal resilience, and environmental responsibility through access to STS data and sustainable support resources.

Only through this mindset can the industry achieve the high standards that the STS Guide envisions.

Thank you

DYNAMARINe Team