Slops
Meaning
Slops are the oily water mixtures from tank washing and cargo residues, collected in a tanker's slop tanks for disposal or for loading on top.
Slops explained
Slops are kept in dedicated slop tanks. They can be discharged to shore reception facilities or, if the charterer agrees, kept and loaded on top of the next compatible cargo.
Who pays for slop disposal, and whether load-on-top is allowed, are standard recap points.
Related terms
Remaining on board
Remaining on board (ROB) is cargo left in a tanker's tanks after discharge; on-board quantity (OBQ) is residue already in the tanks before loading.
Tank cleaning
Tank cleaning is washing a tanker's cargo tanks between cargoes so the next cargo is not contaminated, especially when switching grades.
Crude oil washing
Crude oil washing (COW) cleans a crude tanker's cargo tanks during discharge by spraying them with the cargo itself to dislodge residues.