Tanker types (Chemical IMO I/II/III, Crude, Product, Bitumen, Shuttle, Bunker)

Tankers split into sub-types by cargo and design. Under MARPOL Annex I, crude oil tankers carry unrefined petroleum and product tankers carry refined white and black products. Chemical tankers fall under the IMO IBC Code, which grades hulls as Type 1 (most hazardous cargo, maximum damage survival, tanks set inboard), Type 2, and Type 3 (moderate containment); most are Type 2 or 3. Bitumen tankers heat their cargo in insulated independent tanks; shuttle tankers use DP2 to lift crude from offshore fields; bunkering tankers deliver marine fuel ship-to-ship. Size ladders run coastal, MR, LR1/LR2, Aframax, Suezmax, VLCC, and ULCC for oil, while chemical and bunker tankers stay small.