North Sea oil spill may take two months to clear following ship collision – expert

HM Coastguard

JET FUEL that spilled into the North Sea following Monday’s collision between a tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of Hull, UK could take “up to two months” to clear, an expert has told TCE.

Jonathan Paul, a senior lecturer in the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London said: “Swift action is needed to mop it up before it enters into the ecosystem and bioaccumulates up the food chain.

“I expect it might take up to two months to clear up the spill fully.”

Paul added that damage caused to the marine ecosystem as a result of the jet fuel pollution “starts immediately”. Jet fuel is a persistent oil, meaning that it neither disperses throughout the water column nor dissolves in water. Paul said that the “spread of the oil will only increase over time, potentially covering progressively greater areas of UK coastline”. The threat from jet fuel is mostly associated with the toxicity of additives such as de-icing agents, which would cause “significant harm if ingested”. 

However, the cleanup operation is yet to begin. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the UK government body overseeing the response to the incident, is prioritising extinguishing the fires that broke out after the Portugal-flagged Solong container ship collided with the anchored US-flagged Stena Immaculate vessel.  The Stena Immaculate was carrying A-1 jet fuel for the US military.

It was confirmed on Monday that fuel was spilling into the sea, but the MCA said in a statement today that “there have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident” and that “a comprehensive counter pollution response is in place”.

The MCA has also confirmed that there are no longer “visible flames” on the tanker, while the Solong container ship remains on fire but with “greatly reduced” intensity.