Last three cargoes
L3C
Meaning
Last three cargoes (L3C) are the grades a tanker carried on its three previous voyages, checked by charterers to judge contamination risk.
Also written as Previous cargoes
Last three cargoes explained
Product and chemical charterers ask for the L3C before fixing, because some previous cargoes are hard to clean out or are banned before certain products, for example before jet fuel or food-grade cargoes.
Owners warrant the L3C in the recap, and a wrong declaration can lead to rejection and claims.
Related terms
Tank cleaning
Tank cleaning is washing a tanker's cargo tanks between cargoes so the next cargo is not contaminated, especially when switching grades.
Clean tanker
A clean tanker carries refined clean products such as gasoline, naphtha, jet fuel and diesel, usually with coated tanks to protect cargo quality.