Venezuela Tanker Collision Causes Oil Spill

Two tankers collided near Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo shipping lane, and one of the vessels was leaking oil, officials said Monday.



A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S said in a statement that its ship, "Maersk Holyhead", was leaking from a bunker tank containing about 550 cubic meters (19,420 cubic feet) of fuel oil, after colliding with the Liberian vessel "Pequot" about 55 miles off the channel late Sunday.



Maracaibo Port Captain, Oscar Ramirez, said the incident has not caused shipping delays, though the lane was shut for a few hours Sunday evening to remove the tankers. The closure did not coincide with schedule tanker arrivals or departures, and the crew was reported to be safe. Officials were investigating the cause of the accident.



The collision caused a hole in the Danish ship's starboard side above and below the waterline. It was carrying about 12,345 tons of propane, the statement said. The other tanker was transporting coal, Ramirez said.



As of today, the AP Moeller LPG tanker was no longer leaking fuel oil.