Name of Vessel

M/T Antarctica and M/T Sfakia

Date of Incident

June 28, 2002

Place of Incident

Tuzla – İstanbul / TÜRKİYE

Incident

While transfer of crude oil was being done between Malta flagged tanker Antarctica and Greek flagged tanker Sfakia, significant amount crude oil leaked and spread over the sea surface in Aydınlık Bay in the Marmara Sea. Leaked crude oil spread over larger area due to wind and caused severe environmental pollution. The cleaning work was given to ARAS by the signed contract.

Working Dates

June 28, 2002 – July 3,  2002

Organizations Involved

§      Gard P&I Club – Assurance Forreningen Gard (Antarctica)

§      The London P&I Club – The London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association Ltd. – A. Bilbrough & Co. Ltd. (Sfakia)

§      International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF)

§      Avin International SA (Shipowner of Sfakia)

§      Vitsan Mümessillik ve Ticaret AŞ (Correspondent of the London P&I Club)

§      Mastership Master Maritime Agencies Co. Inc. (Agency of Antarctica)

§      İZAYDAŞ İzmit Waste and Residue Treatment, Incineration, and Recycleing Co Inc

Scope of Works

§      First of all, the tankers were surrounded by 480 m oil barriers. Crude oil caused severe environmental pollution was collected completely by absorbent materials laid over the sea surface inside the barriers.

§      Polluted absorbent materials were firstly put into polypropilen bags and then, they were put into metal drums for preventing the leak. Afterwards they were carried to shore on our tugboat, loaded onto our cargo barge, and sent to İzaydaş for disposal.

§      Crude oil captured under the tanker was risen to the surface using air nozzles by our divers and collected by absorbent materials. Moreover, vessel sections underwater were also cleaned by air nozzles.

Our cargo barge Haşmetli, floating crane Herkül, tugboat Dalgıç, workboat Simbad and  Pisi were used in the operations