Over half a million liters collected in MTKR Terranova oil siphoning ops —PCG

More than 574,000 liters of oil have been collected so far in the siphoning operation for sunken motor tanker Terranova in Bataan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday.

In its update as of Tuesday evening, the PCG said a total of 574,067 liters have been collected from August 19 to 27:

• August 19 - 2,350 liters
• August 20 - 36,100 liters
• August 21 - 42,026 liters
• August 22 - 81,136 liters
• August 23 - 17,103 liters
• August 24 - 121,724 liters
• August 25 - 101,603 liters
• August 26 - 104,202 liters
• August 27 - 67,871 liters

Contracted salvor Harbor Star has been aiming to collect 200,000 liters daily, according to the PCG.

“Harbor Star said that the rate of oily waste flow during the 27 August 2024 operation was 13,574 liters per hour,” the PCG said.

The siphoning operation temporarily stopped to change the booster pump, which speeds up the flow rate in the operation.

According to the PCG, two wing van trucks arrived at Seafront Shipyard for the hauling of oil-contaminated waste materials.

Minimal oil sheen was observed during the siphoning operation, the PCG said. PCG vessels BRP Sindangan, BRP Boracay, and BRP Malamawi used water cannons to clear the oil sheen 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.

The motor tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when the incident happened.

Aside from MTKR Terranova, the PCG also responded 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. The 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. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News