Changwon Coast Guard, Joint Maritime Oil Spill Response Drill for Tanker Oil Leak

Changwon Maritime Police Station is conducting a joint civil-government-military oil spill response drill, assuming a situation where a large amount of oil has leaked due to a collision between a cargo ship and an oil tanker.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] On the 1st, the Changwon Maritime Police Station in Gyeongnam conducted a joint maritime containment drill involving civilian, government, and military forces.

The drill, held near Masangdaegyo Bridge, simulated a scenario where a cargo ship and an oil tanker collided, causing a hole in the hull plating and resulting in a large amount of C heavy oil spilling into the sea.

More than 120 personnel from 10 organizations, including Masan Fire Station, Jinhae Naval Base Command, Korea Oil Pipeline Corporation, Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, and the Marine Autonomous Prevention Unit, participated.

The exercise was organized to prevent the spread of oil spilled at sea and to strengthen oil recovery-focused containment capabilities. Fourteen vessels, 900 meters of oil fences, and five oil recovery machines were mobilized for emergency containment measures.

The drill also included measures to prevent the oil loaded on the damaged ship from leaking into the sea.

The Changwon Maritime Police rescue team and the Central Marine Special Rescue Unit’s special containment team jointly responded to seal the damaged parts of the ship where oil was leaking, and a private company was urgently deployed to transfer the oil stored in the accident ship’s tanks to another vessel.

The Maritime Police reported that the broken holes above and below the waterline caused by the accident were sealed using ultra-strong urethane magnetic pads and sealing pads developed last month following the submerged ship accident at Jinhae Port.

Hwang Seon-ju, head of the Marine Pollution Containment Division, said, “Initial response is the most important factor in marine pollution accidents,” adding, “We will further strengthen cooperation with related organizations to keep the sea clean and safe.”