PCG: Over 160K liters collected in MTKR Terranova oil siphoning so far

More than 160,000 liters of oil have been collected in the  siphoning operation for sunken motor tanker Terranova in Bataan as of Thursday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday.

In an update, the PCG said contracted salvor Harbor Star reported that it has collected 161,612 liters of oil from August 19 to 22, broken down into:

• August 19 - 2,350 liters
• August 20 - 36,100 liters
• August 21 - 42,026 liters
• August 22 - 81,136 liters

The volume of collected oil on Thursday did not meet the daily target of the salvor.

According to the PCG, the salvor has been aiming to collect 200,000 liters daily since the start of the “full blast” siphoning operation on Wednesday.

With this target, the completion of the siphoning of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil from MTKR Terranova would take around two weeks.

“Harbor Star said that the rate of oil flow during the 22 August 2024 operation was approximately 7,200 liters per hour,” the PCG said.

Due to this, more booster pumps are expected to arrive on the weekend to fast-track the siphoning operation, according to the PCG.

Meanwhile, the PCG said its BRP Sindangan conducted drone aerial surveillance and utilized water cannon to address the minimal oil sheen observed in the area.

One crew member died and 16 others were rescued after MTKR Terranova capsized and sank 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay town on July 25.

Aside from MTKR Terranova, the PCG is also currently responding to the sunken MTKR Jason Bradley and grounded MV Mirola 1 in Bataan.

The PCG and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are looking into whether the three ships are involved in oil smuggling.

Owners of MTKR Terranova have denied the allegation.

Due to the impact of the oil spill, a state of calamity was declared in the entire province of Bataan as well as in nine cities and towns in Cavite. —KBK, GMA Integrated News