CASE STUDY

T/V Eagle Otome Collision and Oil Spill

Incident
2CL MAGADAN,OLIVER G.
OTARU
MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Introduction
In the modern world , oil is one of the most important energy source in
the world. Almost 75% of the global industry includes the use of oil from
cars, power plants to power and electricity generation onboard ships.
However, oil is also one of the most critical marine pollution. There have
been many cases of marine pollution cause by oil spill.
On January 18, 2010 , the 247 meter Tankship T/V Eagle Otome departed
Pajaritos , Mexico specifically in Petroleos Mexicanos Terminal bound for
Sun Oil terminal in Nederlan, Texas. The Eagle Otome, Singaporeregistered, was carrying 24,288,228 gallons ( 576,864 barrels ) of
Olmecca crude oil. On January 23, 2010 Eagle Otome was transiting the
Sabine-Neches Waterway at Port Arthur, Texas. On the other hand, there
was also a barge being pushed by Dixie Vengeance. On 0930H Local
time, Eagle Otome collided with the barge. The barge tore the hull of
forward part of the Eagle Otome. The collision damage the tank of Eagle
Otome which resulted to the spill of million of gallons of oil.

Summary of Incidents

Accident Narrative
The barge collided with the tanker at about 09:30 local time on January
23, 2010, in the Sabine-Neches Waterway as the tanker, chartered by
Exxon-Mobil from AET Incorporated to move oil to Exxon's refinery
in Beaumont, Texas, moved upstream, and the barge was being
maneuvered out of the harbor. The collision tore a 15 8-foot (2.4 m)

hole in the side of the tanker, through 450,000 US gallons (1,700,000 L),
or 1,500 tonnes, of crude oil, escaped. According to statements from the
tanker's crew, the tank that was damaged contained 80,000 barrels
(13,000 m3) of oil, of which 69,000 had been transferred to another tank,
leaving 11,000 barrels (1,700 m3), or 450,000 US gallons (1,700,000 L)
unaccounted for. According to local officials, however, there did not appear
to be that much oil in the water, and some said that as little as a
thousand barrels, or 42,000 US gallons (160,000 L), of oil had spilled.
Coast Guard officials acknowledged that this might be the case, and that
oil could have remained in the damaged tank. Referring to the size of the
spill, a Coast Guard officer said, "This is a big one." In response to the
spill, emergency crews evacuated about 28 blocks of buildings around the
site of the collision, but by the evening of the 23rd, residents had been
allowed to return.

Aftermath
A perimeter was established around the affected area, and none of the oil
had harmed local wildlife. The collision occurred in a still part of the
channel, which helped to limit the flow of oil both upstream or
downstream. AET activated their OPA 90 response plan and called
upon Resolve Marine to lighter and refloat the damaged vessel while
contractors worked to contain the oil spilled. While the section of the
waterway the collision occurred in is largely industrial, there are marshes
along shorelines in other parts that are susceptible to damage from oil
spills. The collision closed the Port Arthur waterway, and Coast Guard
personnel couldn't immediately comment on how long it would take to
clean the spill or reopen the channel. The only statement made regarding
the time it would take to reopen the waterway was that "We're working as
quickly as possible to clean up the spill," according to a Coast Guard
officer. By the day after the incident, about 1,100 barrels (170 m3) of
spilled oil had been recovered, and most of the unrecovered oil was
contained. However, according to both the Coast Guard and local officials,
the possibility of currents in the channel picking up remained, and with it
the potential for oil to flow downstream into marshes. Four oil
refineries operate in the Port Arthur area, with a total capacity of about
1.1 million barrels (170,000 m3) of oil a day. In statements, neither Exxon
or Valero, which operate two of the refineries, said they expected
operations to be disrupted by the collision. Neither Motiva or Total, which
operate the other two refineries, initially publicly responded to the spill. In
its response to the incident, the tanker's operator, AET Inc. said it was
cooperating with investigators, and was prepared to bear the costs of

cleanup, but noted that responsibility for the incident had not been
determined. The company also refused to name the pilots in charge of the
ship at the time of the collision. On January 27, the tanker was removed
from the waterway, and soon after, limited traffic through the channel was
allowed to resume. In a statement on January 29, the Coast Guard said
they hoped to allow full operations in the waterway to resume within a
week

Effect on the Industry

The collision entirely closed the waterway for four days, with limited ship
traffic allowed to resume January 27, with operations planned to return to
normal by February 5. A total of 26 oil tankers were affected by the
collision, with eight vessels waiting at the mouth of the channel by the
time it was partially reopened. An officer from the Coast Guard said that
their intent was to allow the largest tankers through the channel first. In
response to the incident, the oil refinery operated by Motiva reduced
production by 110,000 barrels (17,000 m3) per day, although whether
other refineries reduced production was not clear, as further statements
were not released from the operators of the refineries.

Personal Insight
The Eagle Otome Oil Spill Incident is one classic events which involves
collision incident. What makes it more critical is that Eagle Otome is a
Tanker ship which means it carry large volume of oil cargo. One good
thing to consider is that Eagle Otome have double hull structure which
significantly prevented further spillage of oil. One point to focus is the
maneuvering of the vessel and the barge in which the hydrodynamic
forces should be considered especially considering the fact that the
incident happened in a narrow area. The COLREGEGS and ship handling
are things to be considered in situations like these.

Recommendations
Due to the narrowness of the Sabine-Neches Waterway , pilots should
critically consider the maneuvering in the waterway. Moreover, the local
authorities should assist in the traffic situations in the waterway.