CARGO RETENTION CLAUSES.

Cargo retention clauses provide a means for interested parties to account for the quantity of cargo
remaining in a vessel’s tank/s when discharge is concluded. This quantity is reported as ROB


[Remaining on Board] on completion of discharge.
Such clauses may require the inspector conducting the ROB inspection to offer, in addition to a record
of volume, a description to be applied to the ROB material.
In accordance with internationally accepted petroleum measurement documents produced by
API/ISO/EI (previously IP), the only standard terms which IFIA member companies are prepared to
use when describing ROB are “liquid”, “non-liquid” or “free water”. The use of any other terms for the characterization of ROB material, would be subject to a written definition agreed to in writing prior to the transaction, by all interested parties.
The requirement to operate under closed or restricted conditions is becoming more common and
under these conditions it is not possible to carry out direct visual examination of retained volumes in cargo tanks. This impairs the ability of the Inspector to describe the nature of any ROB, as the assessment is limited to small amounts of material which may be retrieved via vapour lock valves.
Where a description is made, particularly under these conditions, it may not necessarily be
representative of the total volume of ROB.
Irrespective of the operating conditions, when the terms, liquid, non-liquid and free water are used by Inspectors to describe ROB, it should be noted that they apply only:

1. To the material observed by the inspector
2. At the time of measurement
3. To the material at the point of measurement


ROB - Quantity remaining on board
Sum of liquid volume, including free water and non-liquid volume in cargo tanks just after discharge has been completed, excluding clingage, hydrocarbon vapours and the contents of associated lines and pump