Liberia Registry launches electronic oil record book

Liberia’s Electronic Oil Record Book (ε-ORB) is the most recent in a long line of groundbreaking industry initiatives designed to make the Liberian-flag fleet the safest, greenest and most efficient afloat. It is intended to address a variety of issues, including oil record books being reported missing on board, failure to document entries in the ORB of internal transfer of oily mixture, discrepancies between entry into the ORB and actual capacity of the oily water separator, and falsification of log entries.

“It is our belief that many errors found in oil record books are caused by human administrative error rather than wilful non-compliance with MARPOL. However, the consequences of incorrectly recording oil waste transfers are very serious and may lead to criminal prosecution,” said Liberia Ship Registry vice president Christian Mollitor.

"Through the use of technology, we have developed an IMO-compliant oil record book that eliminates the chance for administrative errors, ensures accuracy and accountability in record-keeping, and is easily auditable both on board and ashore. The ε-ORB affords peace of mind, knowing that your ship maintains accurate information when pulling into port," Mollitor added.

Created in accordance with MARPOL requirements and certified by Lloyd’s Register under MEPC1/Circ. 736/Rev. 2 guidelines, the ε-ORB is designed to establish transparency, credibility and traceability.

All information is stored electronically through the use of a system back-up, making archiving easier and enabling past data to be revisited. The ε-ORB software will be available for use by shipowners, ship operators, and authorities worldwide.