Stena Bulk Provides Update on Stena Immaculate Oil Tanker Incident

Stena Bulk, the owner of the Stena Immaculate oil tanker, has released an update on the recent incident involving the vessel and the container ship Solong. The company is working closely with the vessel’s manager, Crowley, and U.K. agencies to address the aftermath of the allision.

Salvage experts from SMIT Salvage are currently onboard the Stena Immaculate, conducting detailed assessments of the damage. As of March 16, it has been confirmed that the damage is limited to one cargo tank containing Jet A-1 fuel and one ballast tank containing sea water.

At the time of the incident, the Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet A-1 fuel. The salvage team has reported that 17,515 barrels of Jet A-1 fuel have been lost due to the impact and subsequent fire. However, the remaining cargo and bunkers are secure, according to Stena Bulk.

Despite the challenging circumstances, the crew of the Stena Immaculate demonstrated exceptional professionalism by activating fire monitors to provide boundary cooling water to adjacent cargo tanks before abandoning ship. This quick action helped limit the damage to only the directly impacted tanks.

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has stated that there is no cause for concern regarding pollution from the tanker. The salvage process is still ongoing and will require additional time to complete. Stena Bulk is working with the appropriate authorities to finalize a comprehensive salvage and tow plan.

President and CEO of Stena Bulk, Erik Hånell, expressed pride in the crew’s response to the incident and emphasized the company’s commitment to resolving the situation swiftly and responsibly.

Stay tuned for further updates on the Stena Immaculate incident as the salvage efforts progress.