Tanker Collision Spills Paraffin Off Algeciras

AIS data from Louisa Bolten (orange) and Southern Puma (not reported) on the day of the casualty (Pole Star)

Published Nov 3, 2024 1:48 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

After a collision between a bulker and a chemical tanker near the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday, white balls of solid paraffin wax have been floating ashore near the port of Algeciras, Spain. The substance appears to be connected to the cargo released by the tanker Southern Puma, which was struck by a bulker, spilling about 500 cubic meters of paraffin into the water. 

On Friday morning, the bulker Louisa Bolten was transiting eastbound through the Strait of Gibraltar. At a position northeast of Ceuta, she collided with the chemical tanker Southern Puma, which - according to electronic records - appeared to be operating with its AIS transmitter turned off. The tanker's AIS signal was last received by Pole Star on October 25, when the vessel was transiting the English Channel. 

No injuries were reported, but Southern Puma sustained considerable damage on the starboard side, with the bow-shaped indentation indicative of a T-bone collision. The impact damaged at least one of Southern Puma's cargo tanks, spilling liquid paraffin into the sea. 

Paraffin is biodegradable, and it rapidly solidifies at ambient temperatures, so the environmental harm is expected to be minimal. No bunker fuel releases have been reported. As a precautionary measure, Spanish environmental group Verdemar Ecologistas en Accion called for the authorities to closely monitor the spill and to watch for any signs of ecological impact. 

Escorted by four tugboats, Southern Puma arrived at the Port of Algeciras on Saturday to tie up at a safe berth and await a shipyard availability for repairs. The tanker will need to offload the rest of its cargo to another specialized chemical tanker before it can go into drydock, and it will be inspected by class before further movements. Local authorities say that there is no further environmental risk from the vessel, though a boom has been deployed around it as a precautionary measure. 

As of Sunday, Louisa Bolten was still under way in the Mediterranean, headed eastbound for Aliaga, Turkey.