Saudi Aramco will require ballast water samples for ships making call on its ports and terminals, according to a notice from Inchape Shipping Services.
Saudi Aramco said the initiative is to ensure all ships comply with the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) ballast water management convention. It said it will start enforcing the initiative 16 August.
The convention was scheduled to enter into force for ships entering their first dry dock after September 2017. But the IMO deferred enforcement until the first dry dock after September 2019.
The sample will be required for any ships coming from areas outside of protected waters in the Red Sea and Middle East Gulf.
Testing will be done by a third-party surveyor on board and upon arrival at any Saudi Aramco port or terminal, or during a ballast water discharge. The testing will look at vessels that either have ballast water treatment systems installed on-board or conduct a ballast water exchange prior to entering the ports.
Saudi Aramco says the tests will not impact a ship's operation during their first visit after 16 August. But ships that cannot show a ballast water exchange or treatment will be flagged for a more stringent inspection during their next visit.
Saudi Aramco runs nine terminals along Red Sea and Middle East Gulf. The company reported some 3,279 ship calls at its ports last year, the highest level since 2012.
