The Gibraltar Port Authority has confirmed a leak of heavy fuel oil from a handysize bulk carrier aground off its coastline some of which has escaped an oil pollution prevention boom.
The spill comes as operations to remove all oil from the grounded 35,362-dwt OS 35 (built 1999) were set to begin today after its hull suffered a major rupture last night.
The Gibraltar government has now ditched plans to refloat the bulk carrier which grounded off Catalan Bay after a collision earlier this week, and is now focused on urgently removing the fuel oil.
In a statement the Gibraltar government said: “The first concern is the offloading of the amount low sulphur heavy fuel oil onboard as soon as possible, followed by diesel and then lube oil. The fuel will now be dealt with as waste and will likely be sent for recycling. Current evidence suggests that the fuel onboard is well contained.”
The OS 35 was loaded with 183 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, 250 tonnes of diesel and 27 tonnes of lube oil when it grounded off Gibraltar on Monday on its way to Vlissingen in the Netherlands.
Since the wreck developed a rupture in the hull last night Gibraltar has increased the number of oil prevention booms it has in place around the vessel. A foam-filled boom will be placed at Catalan Bay to protect the beach.
The UK is sending additional oil pollution containment equipment which is expected to arrive in Gibraltar on Sunday.
Further booms will be put in place to protect the Gibraltar and Spanish coastline.
The Gibraltar government said it had planned to refloat the OS 35 by installing a cofferdam but it said that option is “no longer viable.”
Instead, it is now likely a long-term wreck removal will be required.
The OS 35 hit the 162,000-cbm LNG carrier Adam LNG (built 2014), which was at anchor, as it left Gibraltar. Pilots grounded the bulker to prevent it from sinking.
The Adam LNG has had only minor damage to its bow as a result of the collision.
Oman Ship Management, which operates the Adam LNG, said it is “looking at various options to repair the damaged part of the bulbous bow.”
