Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) — The Philippine Coast Guard said compartments of the MT Princess Empress will be drilled this week to collect the remaining oil inside the vessel.
The Fire Opal, a vessel chartered from Singapore to siphon the oil, will lead the drilling operations. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will assist as responders drill a hole in the tanker.
Siphoning operations have been underway since May 29, but the oil siphoned so far are from the leaking parts of the vessel.
“Ang nangyari, itong week na ‘to, ang mga langis na tumatapon sa butas ay pumunta o nilagyan nila ng bag, tawag du’n ay catch can, at parang sinalok nila ‘yung mga langis. Tinrap nila ‘yung mga langis at matapos nu’n ay nung maipon na siya, naglagay ng hose papunta du’n sa ISO tank ng barko at kinolekta na,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told CNN Philippines.
[Translation: What happened this week was the oil that spilled from the hole was collected in bags — they call it a catch can. They trapped the oil and after collecting it, they connected a hose to the ISO tank of the vessel to collect it.]
Oil sheens were also spotted in the waters of Oriental Mindoro.
To date, 85% of the province’s shoreline has been cleaned, the PCG said.
The agency said it is doing its best to finish the siphoning operation on June 19 and the oil cleanup by June 28, four months since the tanker capsized.
RELATED: PCG eyes completion of Mindoro oil spill cleanup by June 19
“We’re stepping up our operations sa area and hopefully, ‘yung target date natin ay — magawa natin doon sa target date ‘yung inaasam natin pagkawala na ng mga langis doon sa ilalim at pati ‘yun pong cleanup,” Balilo assured.
[Translation: We’re stepping up our operations in the area and by the target date we hope to get all the oil below as well as the cleanup.]
MT Princess Empress was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel when it capsized in February, causing a massive oil spill.
RELATED: Marina, PCG staff, MT Princess Empress owners face criminal complaints over oil spill
