Pacific Spirit Marine Institute

13 Foot Waves May Have Contributed To Tanker Accident and Hamper Containment of Oil Spill

Friday, December 7, 2007

Waves were too high to use floating booms to contain the oil already leaking from the Hong Kong registered Hebei Spirit. The Hebei Spirit says it had a collision with a crane barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries.

The tanker was said to be enroute to a Daesan refinery. It is now being reported that the Hebei Spirit was approximatly 5 miles out of port waiting to unload 260,000 tons of crude oil. According to South Korea's maritime ministry "A barge ship being towed...collided with the oil tanker at anchor."

Officials are saying the spill could reach shore in less than 48 hours. The Taean Peninsula is home to Taean Maritime National Park. 530 Km of silvery white-sand beaches. The Maritime and Fisheries Ministry is reporting 40 vessels fighting the oil spill. "Much will depend on how the sea currents move in coming hours."

The oil spill is already more than 5 km long and is approaching wildlife habitats and oyster beds. This area is also an important stop to migratory birds.

The last oil spilled from a tanker in this part of the world was in 1995 when nearly 31,000 barrels of crude oil were spilled off the southern coast.

Labels: Hebei Spirit, oil spill, oil tanker, Taean Maritime National Park