Fire from a marine fuel oil (MFO) spill at Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan, Indonesia has caused the city of Balikpapan to enter a state of emergency.
“We are in an emergency situation because of the oil spill,” municipal secretary Sayid M.N. Fadli told reporters at a city hall meeting on Monday, as quoted by the Jakarta Post.
Fadli says the city has distributed masks to protect its residents from the emissions of burning fuel and warned residents conducting activities around the bay to prioritise safety, specifically telling smokers to refrain from lighting cigarettes.
“I may be exaggerating [with regard to smokers], but the bay is now like a gas station,” he said.
The Semayang Port Authority is, meanwhile, coordinating with private oil company PT Chevron Indonesia and state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to clean up the spill.
Several local reports have indicated the spill spreading to Makassar Strait in South Sulawesi, affecting the health of coastal residents; health authorities in Penajam Paser Utara regency noted that some 1,200 people in Penajam subdistrict complaining of nausea, breathing difficulties and vomiting over the weekend.
Authorities found two more bodies on Monday, increasing the total death toll to four; there is a currently one missing and one injured casualty from the incident.
Balikpapan Police continue investigations on the source of the spill.
Related: Pertamina: East Kalimantan marine fuel fire extinguished
Photo credit: Jakarta Post
Published: 3 April, 2018
IUMI believes that guidance is needed for the education and training of crew onboard, and to address safe and environmentally sound operations.
GCMD in January awarded its ammonia bunkering safety study to a DNV-led consortium, with Surbana Jurong and the Singapore Maritime Academy as partners.
Examines three key energy pathways to help shipping industry transition to a zero-carbon future by 2050.
Yang Ming will be the first shipping company in Taiwan that owns LNG-powered container ships, according to a statement from the Board of Directors.
European Investment Bank and ING develop risk-bearing facility for projects to improve the environmental performance of vessels.
DNV, BHP, and AET panellists note the maritime industry is still not moving fast enough towards decarbonization at the recently held event.
U.S. Claims Register Summary recorded a total USD 833 million claim from a total 180 creditors against O.W. Bunker USA, according to the creditor list seen by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.
Glencore purchased fuel through Straits Pinnacle which contracted supply from Unicious Energy. Contaminated HSFO was loaded at Khor Fakkan port and shipped to a FSU in Tanjong Pelepas, Malaysia to be further blended.
Individuals were employees of surveying companies engaged by Shell to inspect the volume of oil loaded onto the vessels which Shell supplied oil to; they allegedly accepted bribes totalling at least USD 213,000.
MPA preliminary investigations revealed that the affected marine fuel was supplied by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd who later sold part of the same cargo to PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
‘MPA had immediately contacted the relevant bunker suppliers to take necessary steps to ensure that the relevant batch of fuel was no longer supplied. Further investigations are currently on-going,’ it informs.
Juandi bin Pungot spent SGD 3.4 million of his criminal benefits on amongst others, cars, luxury watches, and properties, according to documents seen by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.
