Fuel Oil Spill in Richards Bay

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday April 10, 2014

Crews are working to clean up South Africa's Richards Bay port after about 1,000 litres of fuel oil spilled into the waters, South African news site Independent Online reports.

The oil leaked from an Engen Petroleum Ltd. pipeline, which had not been used for two years, and the spill was detected Sunday.

"It seems that a certain amount of oil was left inside the suspended pipeline," said Jeffrey Zikhali, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development.

Nkululeko Molefe, spokesman for port operator Transnet, said the spill reached the harbour Tuesday.

"The clean-up is expected to continue for the next five days and Transnet will remain with the clean-up teams for the entire process to ensure all the affected areas are rehabilitated and restored to their natural state," he said.

Local residents expressed concern about the environmental impact to news outlet Newswatch Tuesday.

"When I got down there I saw all the oil that has gone in to that mangrove area and all across the other side of the harbour," said one local resident, Nic Maitland.

"It's lying on the rocks and on the sands where all the marine life that live on the water edge and they're just getting covered in the stuff."

Richards Bay was also the subject of environmental concerns after a coal carrier sank there last year, but the oil from the ship was removed without any spillage.