Americas News
Spill Risk Ruled Out Following Fire on Pemex Oil Tanker: Officials
Officials have ruled out the risk of a spill by a Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) tanker in the Gulf of Mexico after extinguishing a fire that started aboard the vessel on Saturday, local media reports.
The tanker, known as Burgos, is reported to have been carrying carrying 80,000 barrels of diesel, 71,000 barrels of high-octane gasoline, and 16,000 barrels of desulfurised gasoline off the coast of Boca del Rio, Veracruz when an explosion occurred onboard.
Fire crews are said to have successfully extinguished the resulting blaze on Sunday.
Veracruz's Apiver Port Administration is said to have deployed three boats and five tugboats to fight the fire and monitor for any possible spills, while the Mexican navy deployed four vessels.
Pemex says oily spots that appeared on the water surrounding the vessel were the result of firefighting foam sprayed to extinguish the blaze, with most of the fuel onboard noted to have been burned during the fire.
The navy says the vessel's 31 crew members were all safely evacuated from the ship shortly after the fire broke out.
Last week, Ship & Bunker reported that two crew members had sustained injuries from an explosion on the bunker tanker Mercuria at Italy's port of Taranto.
