Bunker Oil Spill Near Odongdo
Eight Vessels, Including Containment Ships, Deployed
Contained Within Two Hours
Coast Guard Investigating Exact Cause of Incident
An oil spill occurred off the coast of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, prompting the Coast Guard to launch an emergency containment operation. Fortunately, the spill was not large in scale, and the containment was completed in just over two hours.
Coast Guard is installing oil fences and conducting containment operations at the oil spill site off the coast of Yeosu. Photo by Yeosu Coast Guard
According to the Yeosu Coast Guard on April 28, a report was received at around 3:40 p.m. the previous day regarding an oil slick 1.5 kilometers east of Odongdo in Yeosu. At the scene, an oil slick measuring 50 meters in length and 50 meters in width had spread.
The Coast Guard deployed eight vessels, including patrol boats and containment ships, to install oil fences and collect the oil. The containment operation was completed within two hours.
Investigations revealed that during the process of a 1,400-ton foreign cargo ship receiving fuel from a 200-ton refueling vessel, low-sulfur bunker B oil overflowed through an air vent, resulting in the spill.
The Coast Guard is currently investigating the exact circumstances of the incident and the amount of oil spilled by questioning those involved with the vessels.
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