Nickel ore loading operations require careful control of moisture, sampling and cargo documentation.
The International Group of P&I Clubs (IG), working with INTERCARGO and cargo specialist Roxburgh, has issued a common circular on the safe carriage of nickel ore from the Philippines and Solomon Islands. Published on 15 June 2026 and highlighted again in INTERCARGO’s July–August activity update, the guidance responds to what the organisations describe as a significant increase in exports from both origins since 2024.
The circular identifies the cargoes as predominantly direct-shipped ore (DSO), with limited shore processing and variable composition, particle size and moisture behaviour. High proportions of clay and fine particles can make cargoes susceptible to strength loss, liquefaction, dynamic separation, cyclic softening and cargo shift when subjected to repeated handling, barge transfers and vessel motions. The warning is particularly relevant to bulkers trading into Asian nickel-processing supply chains.
Verified guidance focuses on controls before a vessel is fixed and before loading starts. Owners and charterers are advised to obtain detailed evidence of the shipper’s sampling, testing and moisture-control procedures; approval and oversight by the competent authority; laboratory recognition; moisture-content, transportable-moisture-limit (TML) and particle-size data; the TML test methodology used; and information on rainfall monitoring and stockpile management. The circular says reluctance or inability to provide this material may indicate non-compliance with the shipper-information requirements under SOLAS Chapter VI.
At loading, the Master should not begin operations until the required cargo declaration and supporting certificates have been received and found satisfactory. The circular notes that the moisture certificate should be issued no more than seven days before loading commences under the IMSBC Code. It recommends considering an independently appointed surveyor in advance, while stressing that this does not transfer the shipper’s statutory responsibilities. Masters are also cautioned not to sign documents that purport to make the ship responsible for confirming that cargo is safe to carry.
During passage, crews are advised, where safe, to inspect cargo daily for flattening, peripheral softening, surface water or slurry, gaps at bulkheads or shell plating, rhythmic movement and signs of cargo shift. If symptoms emerge, specialist support should be sought and vessel motions reduced where practicable, including by avoiding beam seas. The can test remains only a spot check and must not substitute for laboratory testing.
Why this matters: the circular makes cargo-document scrutiny, independent sampling access and weather-related stoppage rights central commercial issues, not merely shipboard formalities. For charterers, operators, Masters, P&I interests and insurers, the practical exposure is greatest where loading is barge-based, rainfall-affected or supported by limited independent survey capability. Contract terms should preserve the vessel’s ability to apply IMSBC Code safeguards, suspend loading and reject unsafe parcels without commercial pressure.
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