by Martin Sadongdong
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday afternoon, March 1, confirmed the presence of “black and thick” oil with strong odor in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro after motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress capsized there.
The sighting of the black and thick oil raised fears that the cargoes containing 800,000 liters of industrial oil onboard MT Princess Empress when it sank on Tuesday, Feb. 28, have already spilled. The features of the oil were different compared to the thin particles from the diesel of the tanker that caused the initial oil spill.
The PCG said they also found the possible source of the black oil at 7.4 nautical miles southwest off Balingawan Point, near the area where MT Princess Empress sank.
BRP Melchora Aquino launched a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to collect water samples from the water after the responders observed there was a foul odor coming from it.
“The Marine Environmental Protection Unit (PCG-MEPU) has observed a black and thick oil on the collected water samples,” the PCG disclosed.
However, the PCG has yet to confirm whether the presence of the black oil could be attributed to the spillage of the industrial oil, saying this is still being assessed by the responders.
The PCG said that its motor tugboat “Titan” sprayed oil dispersants in the area so the black oil could break down into smaller droplets and mix with the water. This will push the effects of the oil spill underwater.
