Oil tanker MT Terranova siphoning postponed as not all valves sealed — PCG

The siphoning operation for the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil from the sunken MT Terranova off Limay, Bataan has been postponed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Tuesday.

"'Yung siphoning is yet to commence. Most likely baka bukas kung matapos 'yung pag-seal ng mga remaining valves (The siphoning has yet to commence. Most likely tomorrow, if the remaining valves are sealed)," PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said in a virtual press conference.

The PCG previously expected the siphoning of the oil from the sunken motor tanker to be conducted on Tuesday.

So far, only 18 of the 24 valves of the motor tanker have been sealed, according to the PCG.

Once all valves are sealed, the siphoning operation may start. Of the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, 300,000 liters need to be siphoned to float MT Terranova. This would take up to seven days.

Then, the motor tanker will be moved to a shallow area, the PCG said.

Asked about the possibility of compensation by the ship owner, Gavan said the PCG is focusing on responding to the oil spill for now. He said an investigation will be conducted into the incident.

On July 25, a crew member died while 16 others were rescued after MT Terranova capsized and sank 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay town, the PCG said.

Oil spill was reported in some areas in Bulacan and Cavite. However, the PCG said it has yet to verify this information.

In its bulletin on Monday, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) said the oil slick from MT Terranova would reach Metro Manila on Tuesday, July 30.

Based on trajectory tracking during a surveillance mission, however, the PCG said Tuesday morning that the tanker's oil slick was no longer expected to reach the National Capital Region (NCR).

The oil was moving south-southeast towards Cavite and Batangas, the PCG added.

Last Saturday, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos ordered the creation of an interagency task force that would address the oil spill from the MT Terranova. — VDV, GMA Integrated News