Salvors Begin Extracting Oil From Sunken Tanker in Manila Bay
Salvors have begun the careful operation to remove petroleum from the sunken tanker Terra Nova, which went down in Manila Bay in heavy weather last month.
On August 14, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that contractors had finished installation of a flange valve plate and had begun the preparation for hot tapping operations on the vessel's hull. Over the course of a series of dives, the salvor cleared debris and opened valves for a test of the oil removal procedure.
They began siphoning off oil for an equipment test and extracted about 300 liters in total during a trial run. No substantial leakage was observed, according to the PCG, and a boom was in place to contain minor oiling.
The Terra Nova went down in rough weather from Typhoon Gaemi on July 25, and it is resting in shallow water off the town of Limay. The vessel has an estimated 370,000 gallons of petroleum on board, and an unknown quantity of spilled fuel oil has reached shore in multiple districts around the north end of the bay. An estimated 28,000 fishermen and 350,000 people overall have been affected by the spill, and a state of disaster has been declared in Bataan.
Meanwhile, a different salvor has been working to pump out and refloat the bunker tanker Jason Bradley near Mariveles, Bataan, near the entrance to Manila Bay. The Bradley is the second of three small tanker casualties that occurred in and around the bay in quick succession, and the plan is to raise her and transfer her closer to shore before removing the 5,500 liters of diesel fuel on board.
The third tanker casualty in the region, the smaller Mirola 1, was discovered aground and abandoned on July 31 in Mariveles. It was leaking a small amount of diesel from its tanks but poses a smaller threat to the marine environment.
Greenpeace calls for scrutiny of charterer
NGO Greenpeace Philippines has repeatedly called on the Philippine government to make liquid bulk cargo owners pay for spills of their petroleum, and it has petitioned the Philippine Senate to take action during its inquiry into the loss of the Terra Nova. The appeal focuses on the specific charterer, whose oil was involved in another major casualty last year.
“Greenpeace believes that it is particularly important to inquire into the responsibility and accountability of the shipper, SL Harbour Bulk Terminal Corporation. SL Harbour Bulk Terminal Corporation, a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corporation, was also the charterer involved in the MT Princess Empress oil spill in Mindoro in 2023," claimed Greenpeace Campaigner Jefferson Chua. "In this regard, the government must also reexamine current laws and policies in order to ensure that owners of such cargo are compelled to take responsibility for clean-up and rehabilitation, and compensation to affected communities, in the event of oil spills."