Delta Tankers Says “No Proof” on Brazil Spill Connection

Delta Tankers, manager of the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Bouboulina, has issued a statement in response to claims that the vessel was responsible for the oil spill currently affecting a large part of Brazil's coastline.

The company says that it has now conducted a full search of the material from the cameras and sensors that all their vessels carry as part of their safety and environmental policies, to monitor activity on board, activity alongside the vessel, as well as course alternations, stoppages, speed etc. “There is no proof of the vessel having stopped, conducted any kind of STS operation (Ship to Ship), oil leaked/spilled, slowed down or veered off course, on its passage from Venezuela to Melaka, Malaysia.

“This material will be willingly shared with Brazilian authorities, should they contact the company this investigation. So far, no such contact has been made.”

The Bouboulina sailed from Venezuela in laden condition on July 19, 2019 heading directly to Melaka, Malaysia, where she discharged her entire cargo without any shortage, says the company.

Reuters reports that Brazilian investigators said on Friday that a Greek-flagged ship carrying Venezuelan crude was the source of oil that has been polluting thousands of kilometers of coastline over the past two months. The investigators did not name the vessel, but a prosecutors’ document obtained by Reuters identified the ship as the Bouboulina.

The spill has spread across all nine states of Brazil's Northeast Region. It is the worst oil spill in Brazilian history. By the end of October, over 1,000 tons of oil has been cleaned up.