Nickel Ore Liquefaction Suspected in Fatal Sinking of Bulk Carrier Devon Bay

The sinking of the bulk carrier Devon Bay near Scarborough Shoal on January 23 has once again thrust nickel ore into the spotlight as one of shipping’s deadliest cargoes.

The incident, which claimed at least two lives and left four crew members missing, is suspected to have been caused by cargo liquefaction — a phenomenon that has plagued the dry bulk sector for more than a decade and continues to expose fatal vulnerabilities in bulk shipping operations.

According to Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, initial crew statements indicate that excessive moisture in the vessel’s 55,000-ton cargo of nickel ore caused the load to shift suddenly to port, destabilizing the ship amid rough seas.

“The moisture content of the cargo caused the shifting of the weight to the left side of the ship or the port side… and the weather was not good. There were big waves. That is the initial suspicion that we have, no conclusive data yet,” Gavan said.

The Singapore-flagged Devon Bay, owned by K Line Pte Ltd, transmitted a distress signal late on January 22 while en route from the Philippines to China. Of the 21 Filipino crew members aboard, 17 were rescued in a joint operation involving Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard vessels, though two later died from their injuries. Search and rescue efforts continue for the four missing mariners.

The Philippine Coast Guard received 15 survivors and the bodies of two deceased crew members during a transfer operation approximately 168 nautical miles west of Tambobong, Pangasinan, on January 25.

A Cargo That Can Turn Deadly Without Warning

Nickel ore is classified as a high-risk Group A cargo under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code due to its susceptibility to liquefaction — a process in which apparently solid bulk cargo suddenly behaves like liquid when its moisture content exceeds safe limits. When that happens, cargo can shift violently inside a ship’s holds, rapidly destroying stability and leading to capsize with little or no warning.

INTERCARGO, which represents dry bulk ship owners and operators, has long described nickel ore as “the world’s most dangerous cargo.”

Between October 2010 and December 2011, nickel ore liquefaction was linked to at least four vessel losses and the deaths of 66 seafarers. In 2013, the bulk carrier Trans Summer sank off Hong Kong with 57,000 tons of nickel ore loaded in Indonesia.

The frequency of such disasters declined after Indonesia imposed an export ban on unprocessed nickel ore and bauxite in 2014, aimed at driving domestic smelting investment. But when Jakarta partially lifted the ban in 2017, INTERCARGO warned that risk levels would likely rise again.

“We would urge Members exercise extreme caution should Indonesian ore exports re-enter the market; as the ban has been in place for some time it is most likely that many stockpiles will be subject to saturation and therefore the possibility of being offered cargoes with an unduly high moisture content may be anticipated,” the group warned at the time.

Rescue Effort Spans Disputed Waters

The Devon Bay sank in waters near Scarborough Shoal — one of Asia’s most contested maritime flashpoints. China has controlled the area since 2012, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidating Beijing’s territorial claims.

Yet despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, Chinese and Philippine authorities coordinated closely during the rescue operation.

A Familiar Tragedy

As search efforts continue, the Devon Bay disaster underscores the persistent danger posed by nickel ore cargoes — even after years of regulatory reform, safety campaigns, and industry warnings.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority, acting as the vessel’s flag state, has launched an investigation into the sinking.

For an industry that has repeatedly witnessed the deadly consequences of nickel ore liquefaction, the tragedy raises an uncomfortable question: whether existing safeguards are sufficient — or whether transporting nickel ore will always carry an exceptional level of risk that cannot be fully engineered away.