South Korea's GS Caltex, the country's second-largest refiner, will ban crude shipments to its refineries in single-hulled oil tankers from next year, jumping ahead of a government plan to ban these tankers by 2011.
'South Korean refiners have decided to cut single-hulled tankers to 42 per cent by the end of the year from 52 per cent now,' Kim Sun Yeol, an official in charge of offshore operations at the maritime ministry, said yesterday. 'GS Caltex in particular said it will completely ban the ships next year,' he added.
Earlier in the year, the government said it would ban single-hulled tankers from travelling in its waters by 2011, earlier than the international regulation that calls for a ban from 2015.
A single-hulled tanker was involved in South Korea's worst oil spill in December, leaking around 10,500 tonnes of crude oil.
In December 2003, the International Maritime Organization set 2010 as the principal cut-off date for single-hulled oil tankers, with a strictly limited provision permitting some vessels to continue in service until no later than 2015.
'South Korean refiners have decided to cut single-hulled tankers to 42 per cent by the end of the year from 52 per cent now,' Kim Sun Yeol, an official in charge of offshore operations at the maritime ministry, said yesterday. 'GS Caltex in particular said it will completely ban the ships next year,' he added.
Earlier in the year, the government said it would ban single-hulled tankers from travelling in its waters by 2011, earlier than the international regulation that calls for a ban from 2015.
A single-hulled tanker was involved in South Korea's worst oil spill in December, leaking around 10,500 tonnes of crude oil.
In December 2003, the International Maritime Organization set 2010 as the principal cut-off date for single-hulled oil tankers, with a strictly limited provision permitting some vessels to continue in service until no later than 2015.