ECOCIDE
Cleanup Under Way for Fuel Oil Spill in San Juan Harbor
On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a spill between a tanker and a fuel dock in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The spill was quickly shut off and contained, and cleanup is under way.
At about 1930 hours on Wednesday, Sector San Juan received notice from the U.S. National Response Center that a spill had occurred at the Puma Energy fuel dock in San Juan Harbor. During a transfer of No. 3 fuel oil from the tanker Dubai Green to the pierside receiving facility, about 1,000 gallons spilled into the water. The crew detected the spill when they spotted a sheen on the water, and they shut down the transfer operation. Video from the scene shows fuel oil all over the receiving dock, including sections of the gantry above the pier.
The sheen covered an area of about 300 feet by 12 feet, and cleanup crews deployed about 1,000 feet of boom to prevent it from spreading. Puma Energy brought in Marine Spill Response Corporation to perform a cleanup, and Puma hired local subcontractor All Environmental Services to assist. The work to remove petroleum from the containment area and from small pockets in the harbor will likely take several days.
Coast Guard environmental response officers are investigating the spill and overseeing the cleanup. In the meantime, the Coast Guard has advised local fishermen and members of the public to stay clear of the area and avoid touching contaminated materials.
"We are investigating and overseeing clean-up efforts to ensure the right resources are brought into this response to remove this pollution threat and mitigate the marine environmental impacts in the affected area as best as possible," said Chief Warrant Officer Jamie Testa, Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the incident. "This incident highlights the importance of fuel facilities and vessels having updated response plans in place and that those plans are exercised frequently to ensure the quickest and most efficient response possible."
Freighter Runs Aground on Egypt's Red Sea Riviera, Spilling Fuel
On Friday, a coastal freighter ran aground on a reef off El Quseir on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, spilling an unknown quantity of fuel.
The 300-foot coastal freighter VSG Glory was under way on a slow voyage from the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, Yemen to Port Tawfiq, Egypt, carrying 70 tonnes of fuel oil in her tanks. AIS data shows that she had been loitering in the Red Sea for more than a month, rarely making more than three knots and often doubling back on her course.
Courtesy Pole Star
On Friday, after another low-speed dogleg just offshore, she drifted west and ran aground on a reef north of Al-Quseer (El Qosier), an ancient city and tourism destination on Egypt's Red Sea Riviera. The area is known for its near-shore diving attractions, including coral gardens and submerged caverns.
According to Al Jazeera, all 21 crewmembers were safely evacuated. Local environmental conservation group HECLA reports that the vessel suffered flooding in way of the engine room, and photos from the scene show that the stern is low in the water.
Courtesy HECLA
Courtesy HECLA
The location of the grounding is right off the shore of two upscale resorts, and the spill lightly contaminated the beach. First responders have installed about 600 feet of pollution control boom around the stricken vessel, HECLA reported.
VSG Glory is an 8,000 tonne freighter built in 1994, and her owners have used the Comoros flag registry since August 2023. She is owned and operated by a company in Basrah, Iraq, and has accumulated multiple deficiencies at every port state control inspection since 2019 (and more than 200 over her lifetime). Recently recorded issues include oil accumulation in the engine room, fire system maintenance, adequacy of food provisions, officer qualification documents, and various health-related issues in the accommodations.
Supply Vessel Hits Leg of a Jackup Rig at North Sea Oilfield
On Sunday night, an offshore supply vessel hit a jackup rig at a position in the UK North Sea, forcing the rig operator to partially evacuate as a precautionary measure.
At about 2215 hours on Sunday night, a PSV hit one of the legs of the rig Valaris 120, located at a platform about 150 miles to the east of Aberdeen, Scotland. About 128 workers were aboard the rig at the time of the allision, and 52 nonessential personnel were flown off to Aberdeen by helicopter. The partial evacuation took three flights, lease operator Harbour Energy said in a statement.
"People are our priority, and everyone onboard the rig and the vessel is safe and well," Harbour Energy said. "Our incident response teams have been mobilized and are in liaison with the relevant authorities."
Valaris 120 is a heavy duty harsh environment jackup built in 2013, and it was part of the former Ensco fleet. It has a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet and can operate in up to 470 feet of water. At the time of the casualty, the jackup was in elevated position near Harbour Energy's Judy platform, a small manned production installation with output of about 34,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Its lifetime is being extended through subsea tieback developments to nearby prospects, including the Talbot field and the Jocelyn South exploration well. Harbour also planned for two infill wells at the Judy field and a rig-based well intervention campaign during 2024.
Valaris 120 recently secured a three-year contract extension with Harbour Energy, running from 2025 through 2028. The day rate was not disclosed.
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