Human error may be cause of oil spill
Preliminary probe suggests there was no strong wind and the sea was calm at the time of Natuna Sea mishap
HUMAN error might have caused the Natuna Sea to run aground 10 days ago, spilling 7,000 tonnes of crude oil into Indonesian waters, according to preliminary investigations by local authorities.
In an interview with The Straits Times yesterday, Ba-tam mayor Muhammed Nazief Soesila Dharma said in Bahasa Indonesia: "We interviewed the tanker captain and crew and our findings so far suggest that human error caused the accident."
He added: "According to the harbour master, there were no strong winds and the sea was also relatively calm when the accident occurred."
The mayor’s comments came as the Natuna Sea was refloated - 10 days after running aground 8 km from Sentosa.
She was towed and anchored off Pulau Sambu, near Batam, where she will remain until she is towed to a shipyard for repairs.
Mr Sam Norton, a spokesman for the vessel’s agent, Tanker Pacific Management, said it was premature to speculate on what caused the mishap.
"To speculate on the cause of the accident at this stage would be inappropriate and wrong," he said when asked if human error might be the cause.
"It’s like a trial. You don’t want to pass the verdict before all the evidence has been submitted.
"We will need to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation and we will of course cooperate fully with all the relevant authorities."
The tanker was on its way to China from Saudi Arabia, carrying more than 40,000 tonnes of crude oil, when it ran aground on Oct 3.
Two days later, lumps of oil were spotted in Singapore waters and oil patches were washed up on the beaches of Sentosa, St John’s Island and Pulau Sekijang.
Also hit badly were coastal areas and islands off Batam, namely Batu Merah, Belakang Padang, Tanjung lJma, Nongsa and Sekupang.
Six tug boats were used to refloat the ship yesterday, with nine vessels on standby. Almost 100 technicians were involved in the operation.
Although the tanker had been refloated, there was still a risk of further pollution, Mr Norton said.
"There are still ruptures in the ship’s hull and it will not be in a safe condition unless repairs are made in dry dock soon."
Meanwhile, more than 500 people are involved in on-going operations in Singapore and Indonesia to clear the beaches of oil lumps and oil-covered debris.
-By Karamjit Kaur
Source : The Straits Times, Oct 13, 2000
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