Petronas dispatches team to contain oil spill in Kertih

Friday September 21, 2007
MYT 6:45:22 PM

KEMAMAN: Petronas dispatched its emergency response team with the support from Marine Department and Petroleum Industry of Malaysia Mutual Aid Group to contain an oil spill about 1.2km from Kertih Port, late Thursday night.

Petronas in a statement said that the oil leak occurred at the floating hose of a single buoy-mooring chamber while loading to an oil tanker was underway.

The leak occurred while an oil product known as low sulphur waxy residue (LSWR) was being piped from the Kertih refinery to the oil tanker. About 50 barrels of oil spilled.

The statement also said that the Department of Environment and related authorities had been notified.

Petronas is currently carrying out work to contain the oil spill and a clean-up operation is underway to recover LSWR tar balls.

A shore clean-up team is on standby for shore cleaning should the tar ball reach the shore.