PCG: MTKR Terranova oil siphoning ops extended to Friday

The oil siphoning operations for sunken motor tanker Terranova have been extended to Friday to ensure that all oily waste is collected, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday.

“Coast Guard Station (CGS) Bataan Commander, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Michael John Encina PCG, said the siphoning operation will be completed on Friday, 13 September 2024 (tentative date) or later, ensuring the recovery of oily waste on all cargo oil tanks, pipelines, and compartments of the sunken vessel,” the PCG said in a statement.

The PCG initially said the oil siphoning operations for MTKR Terranova were set to be concluded on Tuesday after contracted salvor Harbor Star collected “mostly water” from the area on Sunday.

From August 19 to September 10, a total of 1,384,211 liters of oily waste have been collected from MTRK Terranova, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank in late July:

• 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
• August 30 - unloading of oily waste
• August 31 - 129,292 liters
• September 1 - 222,292 liters
• September 2 to 7 - no operations
• September 7 - 52,355 liters
• September 8 - 8,809 liters
• September 9 - 18,826 liters 
• September 10 - 61,153

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 on July 25.

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

For MTKR Jason Bradley, the PCG said contracted salvor FES Challenger started the installation of siphoning pipes in preparation for seawater siphoning. 

“FES Challenger said the target date to refloat MTKR Jason Bradley will be on Saturday, 14 September 2024. It will be brought to Diving Industry Shipyard, Barangay Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan for further operations,” the PCG said.

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