Vessel | : | M/T “SLOPS” |
Date | : | 15/6/2000 - 21/6/2000 |
Place | : | Kynosoura (Greece) |
Casualty | : |
Sea Pollution following Fire’s break & Flooding. |
While stern-fastened at Kynosoura, the 16500DWT single hull MOTOR TANKER “SLOPS” caught fire following an explosion, sustaining major opening on her portside between No 4 and No 5 tanks. As a result, she took a port list of approx. 15º while her fore was 1m awash (PS & SS No1 and No 2 flooded). Her port side shell crack/opening was approx. 1m below the sea surface and her cargo of heavy oil was being continuously spilling into the sea. The continuous sea water ingress, in combination with the serious cracking of most of her internal bulkheads, was causing the gradual increase of the vessel’s list. The risk of the ship’s sinking, with the resultant ecological catastrophe, was imminent. Emergency Pollution Response action was required. All actions of POSEIDON, taken on an urgent basis, were approved/ ratified by her shipowners and the HELLENIC MERCHANT MARINE MINISTRY/ PORT AUTHORITIES. POSEIDON, acting instantaneously, mobilized her fully qualified manpower, deployed more than 2000m of booms, oil skimmers within the booms to mitigate oil pollution. POSEIDON, further, managed, within 2 days to gain the vessel’s upright position (dewatering PS & SS No1 and No2 tanks and pumping out No 3, 4 and 5 PS tanks) and bring the damaged area above the sea surface, restraining thus completely the cargo leak. Clean-up works in the surrounding area also took place. The vessel was safely delivered to her owners within 6 days from the day of accident. The quantities of the spilled heavy oil that were collected were estimated to approx. 1500 – 2000 metric tons.










