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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PCG: Initial siphoning process for tanker 'Terranova' finally begins

PCG: Initial siphoning process for tanker 'Terranova' finally begins

Published Aug 13, 2024 07:06 am

Nineteen days since it sank off the coast of Limay in Bataan, the initial siphoning of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil (IFO) from sunken tanker MTKR “Terranova” officially began on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the initial siphoning aims to assess the flow rate of oil from the eight tanks and 24 pipes and valves of the sunken tanker. MTKR Terranova sank off Limay’s coast on July 25.

“We are assessing the flow rate of the oil. The intention is to avoid a hasty procedure. We need to determine the reaction of the oil, how fast its flow rate from the pipe is,” Lt. Cdr. Michael John Encina, commander of Coast Guard Station Bataan, said.

The initial siphoning includes hot topping, a procedure which pertains to putting a pipe in the surface of a tank to pave the way for the entry of water. Through water flooding, the oil inside the tank will rise and be siphoned. 

“We have to replace the oil with water just to ensure that these contaminants will be removed without unnecessary movement of the vessel,” Encina explained.

Once the flow rate is determined, it will also identify how long the full-blown siphoning operation will take.

The initial plan for the siphoning process was also adjusted.

Encina said the plan now is to drain all the remaining fuel from the tanker as authorities want to avoid any possibility of oil spilling from the vessel’s tanks while the siphoning procedure is happening.

The previous plan is to drain 300,000 liters of oil and make the tanker float, then bringing it to shallow waters where the extraction of the remaining fuel will be conducted.

Probe continues

Meanwhile, the PCG met with representatives from the Department of justice (DOJ) as part of the investigation on the sinking of MTKRs Terranova and “Jason Bradley”, and the beaching of MV Mirola 1.

“Based on the just concluded meeting with the DOJ, they we’re just looking and asking about the documents of the three vessels which we submitted to them. This is in coordination with our partners in the investigation, the National Bureau of Investigation and Marina [Maritime Industry Authority],” Encina said.

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