Authorities Investigating Source of Spill at Darwin Harbour

Authorities at Australia's Darwin Harbour are investigating the source of a large spill of what is believed to be HFO.

Authorities at Australia's Darwin Harbour are investigating the source of a large spill, of what is believed to be HFO, at the port, Australian media reports.

"If it’s a fuel oil, it is either from some fuel oil storage or perhaps from a large ship but we can’t be certain as to what it is at the moment," Dr. Bill Freeland, chair of the NT Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

"Consequently, it's formed a very thin sheen that is moving very rapidly up and around the harbour, backwards and forwards."

The spill is said to have been initially reported at 4 a.m. local time on Friday, with sheening since reported to be covering about 30km across the harbour area.

Freeland says the sheen is too thin to take any effective remedial action, adding that it is "expected to disperse over time."

"All you can do is perhaps break it up with propellers so you can begin to emulsify it and get it out of the water"

Jacqui Taylor, a spokesperson for the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), said that the organisation has concerns about the potential impact the spill could have on local fish stocks, marine life, and tourism.

The NT EPA is said to have "fingerprinted" the oil in order to match it with another sample in order to locate the perpetrator.

Earlier this month, Ship & Bunker reported that the Rotterdam's Port Innovation Lab is providing support to the start-up company Oil Spill Cleaning & Rescue Solutions (OCRS), which has developed a liquid polyurethane solution that acts as a composite "sponge" to help clean up smaller spills.