Oil Spill Blog

For the first ever commercial oil spill that one can recall is the incident when the tanker Torrey Canyon ran aground off Cornwall on March 18, 1967 in the United Kingdom spilling 80,000 tones (119,000 barrels) of crude. Though this oil spill happened way back in 1967 the scenario today is also pretty much the same. Though the recent Gulf oil spill and the Singapore tanker oil spill may not entirely be caused by the vessels, it just calls our attention to the very notable fact, pollution from vessels.

According to a report released in 1980, of the 3.2 million tonnes of oil released into the ocean, almost half of it was from vessels. This estimation will help you get an idea on how grave this issue is. Accidental oil spills from tankers and commercial vessels, deliberate or operational discharges from commercial vessels, grounded and abandoned vessels are some of the most common.

Vessels also play a significant role in increasing global warming as over 90 percent of the global trade is carried through ships. It is estimated that ships in particular would be accountable for about 40% of the air pollution over land in addition to the 3.5% to 4% of all climate change emissions.

Discharge of ballast water when loading and unloading of cargo near the port is a major reason for pollution near the coasts. Apart from contaminating the sea with tar balls the ballast water also threatens ecology by introducing foreign species of organisms into the water. The discharged water also contains human effluents which when released can cause serious damage to the environment.

One simple method that can minimize marine pollution to a great extent is the usage of eco-friendly bioremediation product like Oil Gone Easy S-200 to clean the oily bilge water and immediate oil spill remediation in case of accidental oil spills.

Popularity: 12% [?]

As the whole world is busy thinking of a solution to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, here comes the Singapore oil spill. Though not as disastrous as the Gulf Oil spill, it has equally raised concerns regarding our take on the bendable rules and regulations.

The collision of an oil tanker and the bulk carrier in the deep waters between Singapore and Malaysia has raised questions about the oil transportation norms. In Singapore oil spill, the sea has been polluted with almost 5000 tons of crude oil, resulting in the closure of 4.3 miles of the coastline.

As the scale of pollution was minor, the oil spill cleanup operations measures seem to have worked here. The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority who took up the daunting task of cleaning up oil spill now claim that the waters at Changi and the East Coast have “returned to normal.”

For oil spill cleanup, they incorporated several methods. They tried to contain the oil spill by sucking up the spilled oil in the empty containers of MT Bunga Kelana 3. The Pengerang waters were also safeguarded with three boats as a safety measure. The Malaysian and the Singapore water ways were also put under constant watch such that no new boats enter the oil spill area and further spread the pollution.

Around 20 vessels and 200 personnel were employed for oil spill cleanup. For oil spill containment, booms are also lined up near the oil tanker. And most of all, they used biodegradable cleaners to break up the oil. The warm temperature of the tropics seems to have worked for dispersal of oil.

The Government of Singapore and Malaysia has undoubtedly done a good job using biodegradable dispersants. It’s not too late for BP, who still appears to be at loss about dealing with the oil spill cleanup. It would be a wise decision to go in for biodegradable products like Oil Gone Easy S-200.

Popularity: 8% [?]