Tobago oil spill
The Tobago oil spill refers to a significant maritime disaster that occurred on July 19, 1979, when two oil tankers, the Aegean Captain and the Atlantic Empress, collided off the coast of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. The collision resulted in the loss of 29 crew members on the Atlantic Empress and three from the Aegean Captain. At the time of the accident, both vessels were navigating under poor weather conditions, with heavy rain impacting their radar systems, leading to a critical failure in collision avoidance. Although the incident resulted in a major oil spill, the environmental impact was somewhat mitigated because the oil carried was primarily gasoline, which burned rather than fouled coastal areas.
Following the collision, salvage efforts were initiated, but the Atlantic Empress eventually sank after being towed into the Atlantic amid significant fires and explosions. In total, approximately 270,000 tons of oil were lost, leading to substantial insurance claims amounting to $54 million. The disaster highlights the inherent risks associated with maritime oil transportation, especially under adverse weather conditions, and raises concerns about the safety protocols in place for collision avoidance.
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Tobago oil spill
THE EVENT: Collision of two oil tankers off the coast of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea that caused significant loss of human life and a large oil spill
DATE: July 19, 1979
Because the oil carried by the tankers Aegean Captain and Atlantic Empress contained a high percentage of gasoline, the environmental damage of the spill was minimized.
On the evening of July 19, 1979, the weather off the northern tip of the Caribbean island of Tobago was rainy with gusty winds. The Liberian-registered Aegean Captain, weighing 210,257 tons, was bound from the Netherlands Antilles to Singapore with a cargo of transshipped Arabian crude oil. The Atlantic Empress, also Liberian-registered, was en route from the Persian Gulf to Beaumont, Texas, with a cargo of Arabian crude; this vessel was operating under charter to Mobil Oil. At 325 meters (1,066 feet) long and 292,666 tons, the Atlantic Empress was a very large vessel.
The two tankers were both using radar for collision avoidance, but, as they later reported, the pictures were “fuzzy” because of the rain. Each vessel was unaware of the other’s presence until it was too late. They did not sight each other until they were approximately 183 meters (600 feet) apart. Because of their size, such vessels require miles to stop. The Aegean Captain was on an easterly heading and, upon sighting the Atlantic Empress, began a sharp left turn, although navigation rules allow for turns to the right only. The Atlantic Empress was northbound toward Texas, yet at the time of the collision it was on a southerly heading for unknown reasons. At 7:15 P.M., the two vessels collided 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of the northern tip of the island of Tobago.
The bow of the Aegean Captain struck the starboard (right) side of the Atlantic Empress and drove deep into the center of the other ship. The two vessels were locked together as fires broke out on both ships and oil began to spill into the sea. On the Atlantic Empress twenty-six crew members were killed in the collision; three crewmen died on the Aegean Captain. The captain of the Aegean Captain then backed his vessel away from the Atlantic Empress even though the Atlantic Empress’s captain had asked him not to, fearing his ship would sink.
Salvage tugs stationed nearby responded almost immediately to the collision. The Atlantic Empress, on fire and leaking oil badly, was taken in tow. The tugs applied for permission to bring the tanker into several local ports, where fighting the fires would have been more efficient, but in all cases permission was denied. The vessel was towed out into the Atlantic Ocean, where it was racked by several explosions and sank. The Aegean Captain remained afloat, and after the fires were put out and the oil leaks were stopped, it was taken to a local shipyard.
The fact that both vessels were carrying high-quality Arabian was actually a benefit in this case, as such oil is almost 25 percent gasoline. This meant that in the collision a large proportion of the oil burned rather than fouling local beaches and fishing areas. A large percentage of the remaining oil evaporated, and dispersants were used to treat the rest before it could come ashore. In total, 270,000 tons (2.14 million barrels) of oil were lost, and damage to the two vessels and the came to $54 million in insurance claims.
Bibliography
Charan, Richard. "Tobago’s Killer Oil Spill of 1979." Daily Express, 21 Feb. 2024, trinidadexpress.com/features/local/tobago-s-killer-oil-spill-of-1979/article‗d855680a-d071-11ee-835a-f7692579df5e.html. Accessed 24 July 2024.
Fingas, Merv. The Basics of Oil Spill Cleanup. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 2013.
Laws, Edward A. “Oil Pollution.” In Aquatic Pollution: An Introductory Text. 4th ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2017.