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Tanker responsible for oil spill identified

Federal Police in Brazil have concluded that a Greek tanker was responsible for a mysterious oil spill that fouled large stretches of the country’s beaches over the course of several months in 2019 and 2020. The shipping company as well as the captain and chief engineer of the vessel have been indicted on environmental crimes related to the incident. In 2019 crude oil from an unknown origin began washing ashore along thousands of miles of beaches and impacted more than 1,000 locations across 11 coastal states between August 2019 and March 2020. As part of the 2-year investigation, officials conducted a chemical analysis of the recovered oil to determine its type and origin, while others looked at drift models to pinpoint the source of the leak. Investigators also dove into troves of data, documents and information to help identify the source. Based on all of the evidence gathered, the Federal Police have now concluded that there was sufficient evidence that the Greek tanker was responsible. The cost of clean-up has been determined to be about $33 million not including environmental damage, which will be determined at some point in the future. Police in November 2019 said a Greek-flagged ship carrying Venezuelan crude to Singapore was responsible for at least one oil spill that took place on July 28-29, 2019. Reporting indicated it was the 'Bouboulina' owned by Greece’s Delta Tankers Ltd. It is not clear if the incidents are related. The police investigation has now been sent to the Federal Judiciary Power of Rio Grande do Norte and the Federal Public Ministry for additional action.

Tanker mangagers denied responsibility for oil spill

The manager of the 'Bouboulina' which was being probed by Brazilian authorities in connection with an oil spill off the country’s coast has found “no proof” of the vessel conducting activities that may have led to leaks on a journey between Venezuela and Malaysia. The Delta Tankers Ltd, who manages the Greek-flagged Bouboulina ship, said on Nov 2, a full search of the material from the cameras and sensors that all their vessels carry revealed no evidence of the tanker “having stopped, conducted any kind of ship-to-ship operation, leaked, slowed down or veered off course, on its passage from Venezuela to Melaka, Malaysia.” Delta Tankers reiterated the vessel sailed from Venezuela in laden condition on July 19, heading directly, with no stops at other ports, for Melaka, Malaysia, where the tanker discharged its entire cargo without any shortage. Brazilian authorities on Nov 1 had claimed that the 'Bouboulina' carrying Venezuelan crude oil, was the source of the crude oil tarring Brazil’s coastline over the past two months. The tanker appeared to have spilled the crude oil about 420 miles off Brazil’s coast around July 28-29, after loading the oil in Venezuela. The Navy said on Nov 2 that oil was spotted and was being removed by cleanup teams on Santa Bárbara island, which forms part of the Abrolhos archipelago, an unique place in the Atlantic for its biodiversity. The prosecutors conducting the probe said they found strong evidence that the company, the captain and the vessel’s crew failed to communicate to authorities about the oil spill and or release of the crude oil in the Atlantic Ocean. The contradicting accounts, along with the execution of police search warrants in Rio de Janeiro, brought a dramatic twist into the causes of the mysterious oil spill that has stained tropical beaches along 2,500 km of Brazil’s coast. Brazil’s solicitor general said the country would seek damages in the case, which has hurt tourism and fishing communities in Brazil’s poorer northeast region. Delta said the material obtained from an analysis of its security equipment will be shared with Brazilian authorities when they contact the company regarding the investigation.

Bouboulina identified as source of major oil spill

The 'Bouboulina' has been identified as the source of a major oil spill in Brazil waters, said to be the biggest in Brazil history. The investigation of the Brazilian Police and Maritime Authorities investigation led to the tanker as the main suspect in oil spill. According to investigation, which involved satellite images, the spill occurred on July 28-29, 2019. On July 15 the tanker called at Venezuela and sailed again three days later, bound for Singapore. There have been no AIS records between late May and early October after the tanker left Marcus Hook. It reappeared only on Oct 8 in Durban. It sailed to Nigeria after leaving Durban, and rwas emaining in Nigerian waters since Oct 20. The oil spill in northeastern Brazil has affected Brazilian jurisdictional waters and over 2,250 km of coastline in northeastern Brazil. The spill was first reported on Aug 30. By the end of October, over 1,000 tonnes had been cleaned up; the spill had contaminated portions of all nine states of Brazil's Northeast Region.