Case Studies
This section contains summaries of major spills from 1967 to the present day, looking at the incident, response, our involvement together with selected bibliographies and web links, where available.
EAGLE OTOME, United States, 2010
On 23rd January 2010, two barges and their towing vessel DIXIE VENGENCE, collided with the Singapore flagged oil tanker EAGLE OTOME, in the Sabine Neches waterway in Port Arthur, Texas. The collision resulted in a hole near the No. 1 starboard cargo tank of EAGLE OTOME and a spillage of an estimated 1,440 MT of light crude oil cargo.
Categories: United States, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas
AGIOS DIMITRIOS 1, China, 2009
On Tuesday 15th September 2009, the containership AGIOS DIMITRIOS 1 was caught in a typhoon and ran aground off Gaolan Island, close to the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China. The vessel was in ballast, carrying 859 tonnes of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO).
Categories: China, Oil, Container Ship, Asia, Economic effects
GULSAR ANA, Madagascar, 2009
On 26th August 2009, the laden bulk carrier GULSER ANA ran aground on the southern coast of Madagascar, approximately 1.2 km offshore. Within a few days the vessel suffered serious structural deterioration which led to an immediate and significant oil spill and loss of rock phosphate cargo
Categories: Madagascar, Bulk Carrier, Africa, Environmental effects, Disposal
USHUAIA, Antarctic Peninsula, 2008
The ice strengthened cruise vessel, USHUAIA ran aground on 4th December 2008, while sailing through Bahia Guillermina, along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. At the time of grounding the vessel was carrying 89 passengers and 42 crew. USHUAIA was carrying a total of 440 tonnes of Marine Gas Oil at the time of the grounding.
Categories: Antarctica, Oil, Cruise Ship, Planning & operations
HEBEI SPIRIT, Republic of Korea, 2007
On 7th December 2007, the VLCC HEBEI SPIRIT (146,848GT, built 1993), laden with 209,000 tonnes of four different Middle Eastern crude oils, was struck by a crane barge whilst at anchor off Taean, South Korea.
Categories: Korea, Oil, Oil Tanker, Asia, Response Techniques, Environmental effects, Economic effects, Disposal, Compensation, Dispersants
COSCO BUSAN, USA, 2007
Whilst leaving the port of San Francisco in thick fog on 7th November 2007, laden container vessel COSCO BUSAN allided with a pier of the Oakland Bay Bridge causing a tear in the vessel’s hull in the way of two bunker tanks and the discharge of ~200 tonnes of bunker fuel.
Categories: United States, Oil, Container Ship, Americas
MSC NAPOLI, United Kingdom, 2007
On Thursday 18th January 2007, the container vessel MSC NAPOLI (4,668 TEU, 53,409 GT, built 1991) suffered structural damage while transiting the English Channel in heavy weather. The decision was taken to beach the vessel on a sand bar in Lyme Bay near Seaton, Devon. Once aground, the vessel developed a list, causing the loss of 117 containers. Both the UK and French coastlines were affected by the pollution with the main contamination from tarballs and debris from lost containers washing ashore, some of which was contaminated by oil.
Categories: United Kingdom, HNS, Oil, Container Ship, Europe
SOLAR 1, Philippines, 2006
On 11th August 2006, the tanker SOLAR 1, chartered by Petron Corporation and carrying approximately 2,000 tonnes of intermediate fuel oil, encountered problems in rough seas and sank in the Guimaras Straits, some 10 nautical miles south of Guimaras Island, Republic of the Philippines.
Categories: Philippines, Oil, Oil Tanker, Asia, Environmental effects
ECE, off Channel Islands, UK, 2006
On 31st January 2006, the Marshall Islands-registered chemical tanker, ECE was on a laden voyage from Safi, Morocco to Ghent, Belgium with a cargo of 10,361 tonnes of Phosphoric Acid when she collided with the bulk carrier GENERAL GROT-ROWECKI off Alderney, Channel Islands, UK.
Categories: United Kingdom, France, HNS, Chemical Tanker, Europe