Capesize Bulker “Wakashio” breaks in two

Tokyo-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) received following information from Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd.(Nagashiki) the owner and manager of bulk carrier Wakashio and Time Chartered to MOL.

It was confirmed on August 15 that the vessel has broken into two.

Situation of leaked Fuel Oil (As of August 15 Local Time)

As of July 25, when the vessel ran aground, she had approximately 3,800 MT of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil(VLSFO) and 200 MT of Diesel Oil(DO) on board.

Approximately all quantity (Estimated around 3,000MT) of bunker oil remaining onboard, except for the 1,000MT which had leaked out has been recovered from the vessel and transfered to small tankers by August 12.  Owner has reported most of the Lubricant oil and Residual oil onboard (approximately 100MT) has been collected by August 14. An amount of unrecovered oil is believed to have leaked out of the vessel.

In order to prevent contained oil to reach ashore, oil fence has been installed around the ship, and the spilled oil is being collected by adsorbents.

A Team of specialists continue to work on recovering the remaining oil from the sea and coastal areas in order to minimize the impact to the environment.  The expert team appointed by Nagashiki continue to work in close cooperation with the authorities and local volunteers. 

Situation of the Vessel

A crack in the cargo hold No. 8 to the stern side had progressed which has caused the vessel to break. The vessel is being continously assessed by a team of industry experts, including naval architects, reef experts and salvors, who are closely monitoring and assessing the vessel.  The professional team of salvors will focus on the safe and evironmentally sound removal of the vessel from the reef.  The salvage will be carried out in compliance with regulation and in line with the local authorities’ guidance.

Investigation on the cause of incident

The crews are being investigated by the authorities to help determine the cause of the incident. Thereafter, Nagashiki as the Owner and Manager of the vessel, will be able to interview the crew. Nagashiki will continue to work closely with the authorities to determine the cause of the incident.

Others

The members from MOL and Nagashiki have arrived at the site for the purpose of cooperating with the authorities, collecting information, preventing the spread of oil spill, and supporting oil spill recovery. Due to measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection in the area, activities will be limited.

MOL will continue to consider additional dispatch of personnel and transportation of supplies.

MOL as the Charterer of Wakashio, are doing everything possible to support the efforts of Owner and Manager of Wakashio, Nagashiki Shipping and their appointed teams in mitigating the effects of the spill. MOL deplores any incident of oil pollution and continues to offer support to all involved in the response.