Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Possible site of MV Princess Empress located about 1,200 ft below sea level
Philippines
Possible site of MV Princess Empress located about 1,200 ft below sea level
Possible site of MV Princess Empress located about 1,200 ft below sea level
By Jel Santos
Published Mar 6, 2023 11:46 am
The possible site of motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress has been located about 1,200 feet below sea level, a few days after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) deployed the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) BRP Hydrographer Ventura within the area of the oil spill site in Oriental Mindoro.
In a statement, the environment department disclosed that the vessel is located about northeast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro but it is "believed to have moved southeast from its last known position where it completely submerged."
"We are pleased to report that through the efforts of BRP Hydrographer Ventura, we may have detected the possible site where the vessel is actually located. That site is about 1,200 feet or approximately 400 meters below sea level. It is located about Northeast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro but it is believed to have moved Southeast from its last known position where it completely submerged," the DENR said in a statement on Monday, March 6.
Such information, on the other hand, still requires verification and complete visualization.
"This will, however, require verification which will be in the form of deployment of a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) which will allow us complete visualization should the currents and weather permit. We are now preparing to access an ROV in order to fully determine where the vessel actually is and to completely model the way the oil will be spilling from the vessel," the agency disclosed.
On February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard reported an oil spill from MT Princess Empress which capsized the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro earlier that day and was reportedly carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.
The DENR contacted Governor Bonz Dolor on March 1 to coordinate with response teams in Oriental Mindoro and Manila and mobilized the BRP Hydrographer Ventura on March 2 to determine the location of the sunken vessel.
"We are closely coordinating with local government officials and with UP-MSI (University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute) on the possible use of this information in the modeling for the spread of the oil. We look forward to seeing an updated model from UP-MSI and to share that with the general public but most of all, with the local governments and the communities that will be affected," the statement noted.
The DENR vowed to continue to be in close touch with local communities, government agencies, and operations teams that are on the ground now in Mindoro Oriental and Antique.
"The DENR is here to assist in any way that we can. We have been receiving offers of service, goods, and technical expertise and we thank the private sector especially those that have recently come forward," it stated.
In a statement, the environment department disclosed that the vessel is located about northeast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro but it is "believed to have moved southeast from its last known position where it completely submerged."
"We are pleased to report that through the efforts of BRP Hydrographer Ventura, we may have detected the possible site where the vessel is actually located. That site is about 1,200 feet or approximately 400 meters below sea level. It is located about Northeast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro but it is believed to have moved Southeast from its last known position where it completely submerged," the DENR said in a statement on Monday, March 6.
Such information, on the other hand, still requires verification and complete visualization.
"This will, however, require verification which will be in the form of deployment of a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) which will allow us complete visualization should the currents and weather permit. We are now preparing to access an ROV in order to fully determine where the vessel actually is and to completely model the way the oil will be spilling from the vessel," the agency disclosed.
On February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard reported an oil spill from MT Princess Empress which capsized the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro earlier that day and was reportedly carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.
The DENR contacted Governor Bonz Dolor on March 1 to coordinate with response teams in Oriental Mindoro and Manila and mobilized the BRP Hydrographer Ventura on March 2 to determine the location of the sunken vessel.
"We are closely coordinating with local government officials and with UP-MSI (University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute) on the possible use of this information in the modeling for the spread of the oil. We look forward to seeing an updated model from UP-MSI and to share that with the general public but most of all, with the local governments and the communities that will be affected," the statement noted.
The DENR vowed to continue to be in close touch with local communities, government agencies, and operations teams that are on the ground now in Mindoro Oriental and Antique.
"The DENR is here to assist in any way that we can. We have been receiving offers of service, goods, and technical expertise and we thank the private sector especially those that have recently come forward," it stated.