PCG yet to declare end to fuel siphoning efforts

MANILA, Philippines —  While it is believed that all 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel from the sunken tanker Terra Nova have been drained, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has yet to declare that the siphoning effort has ended.

The PCG also has yet to announce when the oil tanker will be refloated.

Salvage firm Harbor Star “recovered 1,415,954 liters of oil and an additional 17,725 kilos of solid oily waste” from Terra Nova equivalent to 97.43 percent, according to a statement from the PCG.

It also cited an explanation from Harbor Star that the remaining 2.57 percent or 37,867 liters of industrial fuel “were lost due to various factors such as biodegradation, dissipation, absorption by sorbent booms, and unpumpable sludge left in the tanks.”

Harbor Star conducted the final stripping operation to ensure that cargo oil tanks would be empty during the inspection done by PCG, Office of Civil Defense and Bataan local government.