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- Oil spill at Oriental Mindoro, Philippine
Problems
On February 28, 2023, an oil tanker registered as MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, causing a massive oil spill in the Tablas Strait that reached as far as the provinces of Antique and Palawan. The oil tanker, bound from Bataan to Iloilo, was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial oil before it sank. At least 21 marine protected areas may be affected by the oil spill, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Consequences of oil spill at Oriental Mindoro
Oil spill affected major ecosystems across the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), by March 29, reported that up to 5,185 hectares of marine habitat in Oriental Mindoro (including 2,252 hectares of corals) and Western Visayas have been affected. The Department of Tourism reported that as of March 15, sixty-one sites in Oriental Mindoro, including beach resorts, have been affected. Seven marine protected areas were reportedly damaged.
Gallery
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Timelines
2023
March 11
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the ship's actual depth was 389.1 meters and it sank 13.89 km northeast of Balisangan Point, Pola City.
March 01
The oil spill increased to approximately six by four kilometers. The Coast Guard described his stain as "black and thick, with a strong odor." The oil had finer particles compared to diesel from the tanker, which caused the initial oil spill. At around 2:00 p.m., the MTUG Titan – a tug with oil spill recovery equipment and members of PCG's Marine Environment Protection Unit (MEPU), DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation (MTSC) – arrived at the oil spill site and began spray oil dispersants.
February 28
At 4:16 a.m. Philippine Standard Time ( UTC+8 ), the MT Princess Empress is half-submerged in the waters off Naujana, Oriental Mindoro after experiencing an engine problem. Four minutes later, the foreign vessel MV Efes rescued the crew of the oil tanker and took them to Subic, Zambales, where they arrived at 18:00 unharmed. By 8am, the oil tanker was fully submerged and drifting towards Cape Balingawan after encountering rough sea conditions. Later that day, the BRP Melchora Aquino and a helicopter were dispatched by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to survey the area. At the time, an oil spill five kilometers long and 500 meters wide was discovered near the ship's crash site, although the Coast Guard clarified that it was caused by the diesel fuel used to power the tanker, not the fuel oil it was carrying.