A Liberian-flagged vessel has started siphoning off the remaining oil in the cargo tanks of the tanker MT Princess Empress that sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro last February, causing an oil spill that has affected nearly 200,000 people.
In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the process may take up to 30 days to complete, depending on weather conditions and “subsea progress.”
The PCG said the Dynamic Support Vessel (DSV) Fire Opal started the siphoning job last Monday shortly after its arrival in Naujan, three months after the February 28 mishap.
The vessel was contracted by the Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation which was commissioned by the Protection and Indemnity Insurance Club, the insurer of the ill-fated vessel owned by the RDC Reield Marine Services.
The vessel went through “boarding formalities” at the Calapan Anchorage area last Monday morning
“After that, the vessel proceeded to the operational area (in Naujan) to start siphoning off the remaining oil inside the motor tanker that sank last February 28, 2023,” the PCG said.
Citing information from Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, commander of the Incident Management Team-Oriental Mindoro, the PCG said “the operation may take 20 to 30 days, depending on weather and subsea progress.”
“Once the oil removal is completed, we hope that the process will pave the way for the rehabilitation of affected areas and finally transition to the normalcy of lives of affected Mindoreños,” said Tuvilla.
The MT Princess Empress was transporting more than 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil to Iloilo, from Bataan, when it sank in Naujan after encountering engine trouble due to overheating.
PCG spokesman Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said around 120,000 to 240,000 liters of oil are being targeted to be siphoned off the sunken vessel.
Last March, the PCG said five of the eight cargo tanks of the vessel suffered structural damage and were already empty. The three others did not suffer structural damage but were leaking oil.
