MANILA—Oil recovery operations from the sunken MT Terranova in the waters off Bataan have successfully increased, with 42,000 liters of oil siphoned off as of Wednesday. This progress follows the deployment of an additional pump and a high-speed oil recovery system
According to Philippines News Agency, the contracted salvor, Harbor Star, has installed another booster pump to enhance the efficiency of siphoning oil from the eight tankers aboard the sunken vessel, which is submerged in the waters of Limay. Harbor Star also employed a high-speed oil spill recovery system known as Current Buster 4, designed to collect oil waste and improve oil containment and recovery efforts.
The goal is to siphon 200,000 liters of an oil-seawater mixture daily from the motor tanker, with a target of completing the removal of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil cargo within 13 days. The PCG’s BRP Sindangan is monitoring the ongoing activities at the oil spill site through drone aerial surveillance.
In a related incident, the MV Mirola 1, which had grounded in Bataan, has been successfully refloated. Lt. Commander Michael John Encina, commander of PCG Bataan Station, reported during an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon aired over PTV that the vessel’s contractor salvor, Morning Star, continued patching and repairing the hull while extracting seawater from the ship.
PCG patrols along the shorelines of Sitio Bagong Sibol and Sitio Quiapo in Mariveles reported no presence of oil sheen. Meanwhile, efforts to refloat the MTKR Jason Bradley are ongoing, with the FES Challenger, the contracted salvor, preparing the ship’s steering room for refloating.
“No oil sheen was observed during the survey,” the PCG reported, ensuring that the ongoing operations are effectively mitigating environmental risks. The Jason Bradley sank on July 27, resting on a muddy sea floor about 600 yards from the nearest shoreline in Mariveles, Bataan.