RECOVERY OPS. Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard and contracted salvor, Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. during recovery operations at ground zero where MT Terra Nova sank in this undated photo. The PCG assured Thursday (Aug. 1, 2024) that the oil within MT Terranova is being secured and siphoning operations moved "not later than two weeks from now". (Photo courtesy of PCG)
MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday assured that the oil within MT Terra Nova is being secured and siphoning operations moved "not later than two weeks from now".
In a statement, the PCG said all valves and “high-level alarm pipes” of the tanker, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of oil, have been capped while the working barge and receiving tanker to be used in the recovery operation have been positioned on site.
PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the replacement of initial capping bags with metal caps to ensure that oil siphoning would be done safely.
The fabrication of metal caps is expected to take seven days while their installation will take another seven days.
These initial capping bags will also be replaced with new ones within the week while the metal caps are being prepared.
“With the above developments, the siphoning will be moved to not later than two weeks from now. This due diligence measure will however afford us better control to reduce to the barest minimum the possibility of disastrous oil spill during the conduct of siphoning activity,” Gavan said.
To date, it said “very thin oil sheens” are still present in the sunken tanker’s vicinity but control measures have been put in place, including the laying of oil spill booms, deployment of skimmers, and the employment of oil dispersants.
Gavan said necessary control and containment as well as clean-up measures are ongoing in coordination with the local government, other national government agencies, and partners in the private sector.
On Wednesday, the PCG said a seven-man team from the US Coast Guard is scheduled to arrive over the weekend to help in the oil recovery operation.
The ship is only one of three vessels that sank or ran aground in the waters of Bataan in the last weeks of July.
MT Terra Nova is reported to be carrying the most amount of oil compared to sunken MT Jason Bradley and MV Mirola 1 which ran aground off Mariveles, Bataan on July 31. (PNA)
