Salvage workers are attempting to prevent further oil leaking from a sunken tanker which is continuing to pollute the Philippine coastline.
The 1,143-dwt Princess Empress (built 2022) sank on 28 February off Oriental Mindoro with 800,000-litres of oil onboard, of which around half has already leaked from the vessel.
The wreck has been located at a depth of 400 metres.
The salvage vessel Shin Nichi Maru, operated by Japan’s Fukuda Salvage, is at the site of the wreck and is attempting to seal off leaks.
According to local press reports specialist bags which have been supplied by the UK will be placed on the wreck in a bid to prevent oil escaping from the wreck.
Further efforts are expected to involve the sealing and tapping of the remaining oil.
Insurers will be keen to remove the remaining oil and avoid a difficult wreck removal operation.
According to the vessel’s Philippine owner, RDC Reield Marine Services, satellite imagery and joint aerial surveillance modelling show that the movement of slick on the water varies from a south-westerly to a westerly direction depending on the weather.
The Princess Empress’s insurer, the Shipowners’ Club, said oil emerging on the surface from the sunken vessel is being collected.
French water pollution expert Cedre is providing additional technical advice.
In Oriental Mindoro, shoreside cleanup operations involving high-volume flushing and high-pressure washing of affected areas are ongoing. Temporary waste storage sites have been set up to allow the safe and secure collation of waste before it is shipped for disposal. In Semirara, work crews are cleaning stretches of affected shorelines as part of the ongoing cleanup efforts.
The Shipowners’ Club has established a local claims office to register claims from those affected by the spill.
