Oil Tanker Runs Aground In Padre Burgos

Sept. 15, 2009 Oil Tanker Runs Aground In Padre Burgos By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr. Maasin City, Southern Leyte-An oil tanker loaded with 230,000 liters of automotive diesel oil from Petron depot in Mandaue City ran aground at around midnight recently, about 100 meters away from Tangkaan port in Padre Burgos. This was the disclosure of Reynaldo M.Cruz, member of the 210 Squadron based in Sogod Bay area. The ill-fated oil tanker with a weight of 196.28GT has a capacity of loading 105.48 NT of oil cargo. It makes its current load inconsequential as to the cause of the accidental aground. The oil tanker was heading towards Bel-at, Loreto, Dinagat Island when they met the accident. Cruz said that while the ship’s Captain William A. Wong was negotiating the rough seawaters off Tangkaan port, its main engine conked out due to defective transmission bearing. The Master of the tanker has decided to drop the starboard anchor to make the ships’ position stable, he said.Nevertheless,the rough seas and strong blows of the Southwesterly winds(Habagat)has caused the tanker to drift away from its course of destination until it touched some solid grounds, he said. Cruz said that the Master and his crew then prepared the oil spill equipment on board and conducted an ocular inspection in all tanks, spaces and engine rooms. He said they have found no oil spill and no seepage of seawater coming in. Our source said that 2 days after the incident a radioman has called up Coast Guard Ormoc in the person of PO2 Antero Amarga for his technical expertise to assess the situation at the scene of accident. Meanwhile, he said, Chief Engineer Ferdinand Fondlera, 2nd Marine Engineer informed the Captain that they have already replaced the defective parts of the engine with a new ones and it tested good. While waiting for the high tide, the PNP officers in Padre Burgos have also conducted shoreline inspection of oil slick within the area and its adjacent vicinity, but found no traces of it. The ill-fated tanker has its registry address in San Jose Road, Zamboanga City. It was owned by a Chinese businessman Manuel K. See of South Pole Corporation. As of presstime the tanker has already proceeded to its point of destination.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)