Government Confirms Halting Of Oil Leak From Capsized Barge Off Tobago Coast

The government of the twin islands announced that an oil leak from a barge loaded with up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil that was submerged in February 2024 off the Caribbean island of Tobago had been stopped.

The spill, which was spotted for the first time off Tobago’s Atlantic coast on February 7, impaired some of the mangroves and endangered the tourism and fishing sector. It entered the Caribbean Sea, jeopardizing the Venezuelan and Caribbean islands nearby, including Bonaire.

A release from the Ministry of Energy of Trinidad and Tobago mentions that the hydrocarbon discharge generated from the overturned vessel off Tobago’s coast has finally stopped.

The ministry stated that the vessel compartments from which the oil had been leaking were filled with sea water above the leak point, blocking fuel oil flow. The government has reportedly hired remediation and salvage majors to clean the leak and the barge.

The amount of the spill, its origin, target destination, and the ownership of the barge remain unknown. However, Trinidad has said that the vessel loaded with fuel oil had been navigating alongside a tugboat, which hasn’t been located.

Reference: Reuters

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