ABSTRACT
Introduction At the present time modern civilization is largely dependent on oil and its by-products. Vast quantities of liquid products are transported by tankers throughout the world and, as such they have a high profile in the eyes of the general public. However, it should be realized from the outset that not all tankers are in the oil trade. Many transport wine or liquid chemicals, or liquid natural gas (LNG), but generally the tanker vessel is synonymous with the carriage of bulk oil or oil-based products.
