THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday said all the leaking valves of the storage compartments of the sunken tanker in Limay, Bataan have been sealed, paving the way for the start of the siphoning of the cargo fuel today, Tuesday.
“As of now, it’s already under control. Fourteen valves have been sealed; we have already sealed the valves that were earlier found to be leaking,” PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said in a radio interview.
PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo earlier said nine valves of the ill-fated MT Terra Nova were found to be leaking and authorities were working to seal the valves to prevent oil from further spilling.
Gavan said if there was still fuel leaking from the vessel, it was “very minimal.” The vessel was transporting some 1.4 million liters of oil to Iloilo when it sank due to big waves generated by typhoon Carina.
Gavan also tried to downplay fears the incident would lead to another catastrophe similar to the oil spill caused by the sinking of MT Princess Empress in February last year in Oriental Mindoro.
“Let us not unnecessarily alarm the public. It’s not that serious. Some might be thinking this is similar to what happened in Mindoro. All mitigating actions are being done,” said Gavan.
Lieutenant Commander Michael John Encina, commander of the Coast Guard Station Bataan, said about two gallons of oil per minute was spilling from the vessel during the first several days of the mishap. A gallon is equivalent to 3.78 liters.
He surmised the leaking oil was a combination of the cargo fuel or the IFO and the vessel’s working fuel or operational oil. Officials have not disclosed the quantity of the vessel’s working fuel.
Encina said the oil still leaking yesterday was down to one liter per hour after the leaving valves were sealed.
“It’s already minimal scale, very controllable. It’s already down to one liter per hour, or 24 liters per day,” said Encina.
“The moment we lift the vessel and bring it to the adjacent shore, I believe that it would be an indication that the situation is under control,” said Encina.
“The government is always on top of the situation. We have good progress along the way.
We sealed the (leaking) valves and that’s important. From two gallons per minute, it (oil being spilled) is now one liter per hour. So there is a big improvement,” said Encina.
He said the MT Terra Nova has eight storage tanks, four on each side, adding the storage tanks have a total of 24 valves since each has three valves.
“As we speak, 14 have been sealed,” said Encina, adding that nine valves were sealed last Sunday while the other five were sealed yesterday.
The PCG said the leaking tanks were sealed by divers from Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc., a salvage firm contracted by the owner of MT Terra Nova.
As of yesterday, the PCG said divers were putting a “second layer of capping bags and sealing other valves that were not leaking.
“They will also perform a due diligence check to make sure all leaks have been properly sealed before the siphoning operations,” the PCG said.
Encina said the non-leaking valves are also being sealed to prevent the possible spillage of oil if the vessel is refloated.
He said the salvage company is aiming to siphon a total of 300,000 liters of oil from the storage tanks. If completed, this should make it easier to refloat the vessel.
He said the target is to siphon 50,000 to 600,000 liters of IFO from the sunken vessel for five to seven days. The siphoned oil will be transferred to a sister ship of MT Terra Nova.
Encina said they were hoping to complete the sealing of the remaining valves yesterday.
“The intention is to siphon it (oil), to refloat the vessel, to salvage it and bring it near the shoreline so we can better do other measures to prevent the spill of oil,” said Encina.
Encina said the oil spill was down to two to four nautical miles or (3.7 to 7.4 km) yesterday from 12 to 14 kilometers as of last Saturday.
“It’s controlled and the scope of the oil sheen is getting smaller. The direction is south southeast, towards the areas of Cavite and Batangas,” he said, adding there are reports of oil sheens reaching some areas in Bulacan and Cavite, information being validated by the PCG.
Earlier yesterday, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla posted on Facebook an “oil spill alert,” noting that coastal barangays in Ternate, Maragondon, Naic, and parts of Tanza would be affected by the oil spill.
“Naramdaman na ng bahagya kaninang madaling araw. (It was slightly felt earlier this morning),” said Remulla.
Encina also said that Harbor Star has stopped using the dispersants it was using to contain the oil spill because it was not effective.
“There was no reaction (to the dispersants) so the recommendation (of experts) was that instead of using the dispersants, it’s better if we focus our efforts on the containment.
That’s why the PCG deployed additional assets, additional booms to avert the spread of oil,” said Encina.
Encina said there are now six PCG assets in the area as of yesterday, working with six other assets hired by the owner of MT Terra Nova.
Another tanker, the MTKR Jason Bradley, sank in Mariveles, Bataan last July 23 but the incident was reported to the PCG only last Saturday, Encina said.
He said the tanker, homeported in Navotas, took shelter in Mariveles due to typhoon Carina but encountered a squall (sudden violent wind often with rain), causing it to sink some 600 yards from the shore of Barangay Cabcaben at a depth of nine meters.
Encina said the six crewmembers of the vessel were rescued by another vessel.
“We’re preparing a case against the owner because it (incident) was not immediately reported to us,” said Encina, adding the vessel was not carrying any cargo fuel at the time.
He said the vessel was loaded with 5,500 liters of diesel to power its journey.
Encina said the PCG has deployed a ship to address the diesel spilling from the vessel. He said the diesel can easily disperse or evaporate even without intervention.
“The valves were sealed and we deployed booms as a mitigating measure,” said Encina, adding they hope to salvage the vessel in two weeks.
FISH SAMPLES
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said fish samples tested yesterday from Bataan, particularly from Limay, Orion, Balanga City and Samal, passed sensory analysis despite the oil spill caused by the sinking of Terra Nova last week.
The agency is also closely monitoring fish being caught by fishermen to ensure they have no traces of oil and conducting a sensory analysis of fish samples from surrounding waters.
BFAR said succeeding tests with third-party laboratories for the presence of oil and grease and harmful contaminants would also be carried out.
The agency said it is actively working with government authorities in mitigating any potential impact on marine life and public health.
The agency also urged fisherfolk to report any oil slick sighting and to avoid contaminated areas while also encouraging the use of personal protective equipment when necessary.
The agency emphasized it has not issued a fishing ban in adjacent waters still unaffected by the oil spill. — With Jed Macapagal and Reuters
