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Until recently, all tankers carrying over 200 cubic metres of petroleum or its derivatives as cargo were required to have on board a valid Statement of Compliance for Oil Transport (SOC) issued by the Port Captaincies or Delegacies as agents for the Brazilian maritime authority.
The possession of the SOC was mandated in NORMAM-1 (Maritime Authority Norms for the Operation of Foreign-flagged Vessels in Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters) and NORMAM-4 (Maritime Authority Norms for Vessels Engaged in Open Sea), which are standards issued by the Brazilian Navy’s Directorate of Ports and Coasts (DPC). SOCs were obtainable either through SIRE (OCIMF’s Ship Inspection Report Program) or through a shipboard inspection carried out by the local Port State Control with a validity of 30 days, in the former case, or one year, in the latter case.
Following an agreement with the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), on 28 August 2017, DPC issued Circular No. 7/2017 informing that, with effect from 1 September 2017, the maritime authority will no longer issue the SOC and, therefore, will no longer perform the corresponding shipboard inspection for this purpose.
