PCG: Over 900K liters collected in MTKR Terranova oil siphoning so far

More than 900,000 liters of oil have been collected so far in the siphoning operations for sunken motor tanker Terranova in Bataan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday.

In an update as of Thursday evening, the PCG said a total of 903,265 liters have been collected from MTKR Terranova from August 19 to 29:

• 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
• August 28 - 32,187 liters
• August 29 - 97,011 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 29 August 2024 operation was 12,437 liters per hour,” the PCG said.

The siphoning operation temporarily stopped to change tanks, according to the PCG.

PCG’s BRP Sindangan conducted aerial surveillance in the area while divers held an underwater survey. 

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