AT least 52,355 liters of oily waste was collected from the tanker Terranova last Saturday when the siphoning operation resumed after a five-day suspension due to severe tropical storm Enteng, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.
The recovery brought to 1,296,069 liters the total volume of oily waste that has been recovered since the siphoning operation began last August 19, the PCG said.
“We’re now at almost 1.3 million liters of oily waste recovered from motor tanker Terranova,” Lt. Cmdr. Michael John Encina, commander of the Coast Guard Bataan Station, said in a radio interview.
The ill-fated vessel was on its way to deliver some 1.4 liters of industrial fuel oil to Iloilo, from Bataan, on July 25 when it was battered by huge waves, causing it to sink off Limay, Bataan.
“According to the salvor (Harbor Star), since they have collected almost 1.3 million liters, there are around 150,000 to 200,000 liters of oily waste left inside motor tanker Terranova,” Encina said.
Officials earlier said they expect to collect more than 1.4 million liters of oily waste in the vessel due to the seawater that they have introduced inside the storage tanks as part of the siphoning procedure.
Encina said the siphoning of the remaining oil can be completed in one or two days barring any problem and inclement weather.
“The operation should have been completed in two weeks (from August 19) but because of Enteng (we didn’t),” said Encina, noting the suspension of the siphoning operation from September 2 to 6.
“We resumed our siphoning operation yesterday (Saturday), and our siphoning operation is continuing (as of Sunday),” said Encina.
The recovery on Saturday is the fifth lowest volume of oily waste recovered in one day since the siphoning operation started.
The lowest was 2,350 liters on August 19. This was followed by 17,103 liters on August 23; 36,100 liters on August 20; and 42,026 liters on August 21.
