Oil leak from sunken tanker shrinks to 3.4 to 4.7 kilometers in Manila Bay area: PCG
The oil leak from a sunken tanker in Bataan carrying 1.4 million liters of fuel has shrunk to 3.4 to 4.7 kilometers in the Manila Bay area from 12 to 14 kilometers after the ship's valves were sealed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Monday.
Lt. Commander Michael John Encina, PCG Bataan Station Commander, said they monitored this during an aerial surveillance Monday morning.
“For the past two days, the Philippine Coast Guard conducted an aerial surveillance. I think the last time was Saturday. The extent of the oil sheen or oil spill that we saw was roughly around 12 to 14 kilometers,” Encina told reporters in an online press briefing.
“But a while ago we flew the chopper of the Philippine Coast Guard together with the technical advisor of ITOPF (International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF)...it’s now around two to four miles (3.4 to 4.7 nautical mile) going southeast,” he added.
Encina said they are verifying if the oil slick has reached Cavite.
Encina also denied a report that the oil spill had reached Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“Yesterday, there was a report that there was an oil spill in Hagonoy. Our vessel went there and we ruled out that there was an oil spill there and even the municipality ruled it out,” Encina said.
Encina said 14 of the 24 valves of motor tanker (MT) Terra Nova, were sealed, including the valves that were not leaking.
He said the oil leakage was on a minimal scale at one liter per hour or 24 liters per day.
Encina said that the moment they could place the tanker adjacent to the shore would be “an indication that the situation is under control”.
In a separate statement, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said spraying of dispersants has temporarily been suspended.
“The response team will change the type of dispersant to make the initiative more effective based on the technical advice of the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF),” the PCG said.
PCG personnel and auxiliary members are also preparing to lay out oil spill booms and improvised oil spill booms in affected areas.
In a separate interview with dzBB, Encina said siphoning operations will most likely start on Tuesday and would last about a week.
He added that 300,000 liters of the 1.4 million liters of fuel needed to be siphoned from the tanker and the oil would be transferred to its sister ship, MT Helena Marie.
Encina said they have contacted the owner of the vessel and two salvors.
As for motor tanker Jason Bradley, which also sank in Bataan, Encina said they plan to file a case against its shipping company for not immediately reporting the incident.
“We are actually preparing to file a violation and a case against the owner due to not immediately reporting the incident. We are still checking (what case to file). We are still in the process of convening our maritime safety investigation team,” he said.
Encina said six crew members were rescued from the tanker.
In a separate interview with dzBB, he said MTKR Jason Bradley contained 5,500 liters of diesel and that it would also be siphoned.
He added that the salvage operations for the tanker would be in two weeks.
Jaspearl Tan/DMS
