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SURVEY SPECIALISTS, INC. (SSI) Workshop on Pre-loading Survey of Nickel Ore conducted on 24^th November 2017 at the request of Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., held at their Regional Operating Headquarters, Malate, Manila, which was made possible through the initiative of Mr. Robert John A. Manzano of Pandiman Philippines, Inc. (PPI) who administered the introduction.  

SSI Team is composed of the following personnel:

Mr. Alfredo P. Saso – Consultant cum Vice President

Mr. Medardo F. Yandan – Manager

Engr. Fredie I. Dalawampu – Acting Asst. Supervisor

Engr. Gerald Carl B. Gardiano – Acting Asst. Supervisor

Mr. Darwin L. Ilarde - Senior Surveyor

Mr. Rodel S. Cajandab - Senior Surveyor

Attendees are Japanese as well as Filipino participants mostly officers, C/O, 2/O, 3/O and some masters/superintendents, including the director of TNKC, Capt. Yoji Suzuki. 

Part 1. Part of the seminar is a power point presentation (created by PPI President & SSI Chairman, Capt. Andrew J. Malpass) with various topic regarding nickel ore and concerns/danger in the loading of cargo which was narrated by Mr. Saso of SSI in lieu of Capt. Malpass, as shown by photos below.    

Part II. Other topics of the seminar are the basics of determining the Moisture Content, Flow Moisture Point (FMP) by means of Flow Table Test and eventually, the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). Topics also include various issues (or with questionable data) on the cargo documents being presented by various shippers. These topics were presented by Mr. Yandan of SSI, as illustrated by 2 photos below.

Part III – We brought 3 packs of samples of nickel ore visibly categorized as acceptable, borderline & unacceptable. SSI Team performed the can and grasp tests of respective samples as shown below. 

Part IV- Question and answer pertaining to proper can test using a cylindrical can (cap. of 0.5 to 1.0 litre) as described in the IMSBC Code Sec. 8.4.1, with a height of 20cms. striking down sharply towards a hard surface for 25 times, instead of using thick  and long steel tube (as shown to us on a video clip) banging to deck with excessive height which apparently not coincide with IMSBC Code.   We remind them that “can test” is a complimentary test procedure for determining the possibility of liquefaction and if samples remain dry following a can test, the moisture content of the material may still exceed the TML.

These are the following officers/personnel we met during the Seminar:

1. Capt. Yogi Suzuki - Director, Executive Gen. Manager- Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., Malate, Manila

2. Capt. Jiro Takaoka – Gen.  Manager,  Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., Malate, Manila

3.Capt. Takayuki Ogura - Marine Superintendent - K- Line Marine Techno Services Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan

4. Capt. Alvin Quintayo - Marine Superintendent Fleet 3 – Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., Malate, Manila

5. Capt. Walter Palomar - Training Instructor – Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., Malate, Manila

6. Capt. Noel Dalida - Training Instructor- Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd., Malate, Manila

They fully appreciated this workshop.