An oil pumping machine from Singapore was scheduled to arrive late Friday, Aug. 16, to enable a faster oil extraction rate from the sunken tanker “MTKR Terranova” in Limay, Bataan.
Lt. Cdr. Michael John Encina, commander of Coast Guard Station Bataan, said that the pumping machine was provided by the contracted salvor, Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc., as the current rate of oil extraction during the initial siphoning operation was 800 liters per hour.
At this slow rate, it will take 1,750 hours or approximately 73 days to extract all the remnants of the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil onboard MTKR Terranova even if the salvor will work on the siphoning non-stop, 24 hours per day and seven days per week.
“As of now, ang rate ng siphoning is 800 liters per hour but today may paparating na pump na kinuha galing sa Singapore (As of now, the rate of the siphoning is 800 liters per hour but today, a pump will arrive from Singapore),” Encina told reporters in a press conference.
“Ito ay magdadagdag at will enhance ‘yung siphoning effort (This will augment [the pumps] and enhance the siphoning effort),” he added.
So far, the PCG and the Harbor Star collected 2,433 liters of oil during the initial siphoning operation done in the past two days.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s Marine Science Investigation Force collected another batch of oil samples from MTKR Terranova as the contracted salvor continued clearing of debris. The PCG said approximately 2,500 liters of oil were extracted in the latest sampling collection.
Encina said the collection of oil sample will be continuous as this will be used in cross-checking if an oil spill is detected in the coastal areas of nearby provinces in Manila Bay in the coming weeks.
“’Yung mga data na kinukuha natin particularly po dito sa MTKR Terranova is just in case may makuha pong mga oil in the coastal areas. ‘Yan ay ating imamatch, ‘yung tinatawag na spectral matching, at the same time ‘yung confirmatory natin na finger printing (The data that we are collecting particularly on the MTKR Terranova is just in case we detect oil in the coastal areas. We will match that through what we call spectral matching, and at the same time we will do confirmatory tests through finger priniting),” he explained.
So far, no more oil leak has been monitored by the PCG encompassing Manila Bay.
“Kung meron man, magbigay tayo ng impormasyon agad agad para macheck natin kung ano ang langis na ito para maconductan natin ng oil sampling (If there are any, just give the information to us so we can immediately check what type of oil is that, and so we can conduct an oil sampling),” he noted.
Meanwhile, Encina said that the insurance company for MTKR Terranova’s owner will set up claim centers in every local government unit (LGU) affected by the oil spill to lend aid to the residents.
“’Yung insurance ang magcocover (The insurance will cover) as far as I know. During the Senate hearing, may namention ‘yung insurance na may ipo-provide sila na shop (the insurance company mentioned that they will provide a shop) in every LGU that will be affected. The details will come from the insurance and the process as well. The insurance will make coordination with the LGU,” the coast guard official said.
Last Wednesday, lawyer Valeriano del Rosario, legal counsel of MTKR Terranova’s owner, reportedly said in a Senate hearing that a coordination has been made by his client with local officials from Bataan and Cavite for the establishment of claims center in affected LGUs.