(a) For Vessels operated, and/or bareboat chartered by the ADNOC Group:
(i) the technical managers and/or operators of the Vessel on behalf of the relevant ADNOC Group company shall submit a request for an initial inspection to the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department in order to determine the particular Vessel’s suitability for use by the relevant ADNOC Group company;
(ii) the initial inspection report will not be submitted to OCIMF-SIRE unless the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department is requested to do so;
(iii) the initial inspection shall not replace or supersede the charterer’s pre-chartering inspection or other internal or commercial requirements specific to the charterer; and
(iv) based on the assessment of the initial inspection, the Vessel shall be granted a vetting validity period that will expire on the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
(1) expiry of the bareboat charter agreement;
(2) change of Vessel operator;
(3) negative terminal or operational feedback;
(4) changes in the Vessel’s condition status as detailed in section 9 (d);
(5) the Vessel reaching the maximum age limit for its type;
(6) national or international law and/or legislative changes; and/or
(7) any alterations in this Standard.
(b) Vessels time chartered to the ADNOC Group and Vessels operating under COAs for a period longer than three (3) months, shall be subject to the provisions set out in 9 (a)(i) to 9 (a)(iii) above and, additionally:
(i) the vetting inspection validity period shall be determined and granted based on the inspection outcome. There shall be no inspection required to be conducted within the granted validity period unless deemed necessary by the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department; and
(ii) time chartered Vessels shall be re-assessed following a further physical inspection which will be undertaken upon the expiry of the vetting validity period.
(c) Where sections 9(a) and 9(b) apply, and in the opinion of the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department, those Vessels are considered to present a significant risk during the term of their contract, they may be denied entry to the Petroleum Port Limits and/or to any Petroleum Port and/or may be prevented from conducting operations which involve Vessels owned, chartered or operated by the ADNOC Group until the risks have been sufficiently mitigated to the satisfaction of the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department. The ADNOC Ship Vetting Department might require the Vessel to undergo a re- inspection for this purpose.
(d) The owners, operators, managers or charterers of Vessels specified in 9 (a) and 9 (b) above shall, without delay, inform the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department about any deficiencies that they become aware of and which may affect the environment, safe operation, navigation, seaworthiness of the Vessel or, its structural integrity regardless of any corrective timeframe stipulated by Class, and/or any PSC detainable deficiencies together with any and all corrective actions taken Should no such information be provided by the Vessel owners, operators, managers or charterers to the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department, it shall be assumed that the Vessel has no such deficiencies.
(e) Vessels specified under sections 9(a) and 9(b) shall be monitored by the PPA representatives and/or terminal representatives who shall provide the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department with feedback on each and every occasion a Vessel is considered not to meet the ADNOC’s/PPA’s Port regulations and standard operating-procedures. Should no adverse feedback be provided by the PPA representative and/or terminal representative to the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department, it shall be assumed that the Vessel meets ADNOC’s required safe operating standards as set out in ADNOC Marine Operations Safety Standards HSE-OS-ST24.
(f) It is the responsibility of each ADNOC Group company to be aware of ADNOC’s exposure and its own exposure to shipping risks in its business transactions and to ensure that this Standard is correctly applied in all such cases.
(g) No Vessel to which this Standard applies shall be utilized for ADNOC Group business unless it has first been vetted by the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department and a written acceptance for its use has been obtained from the ADNOC Ship Vetting Department.