A possible oil leak is still visible from the sunken MT Princess Empress, based on the latest satellite images from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
In the map shared by PhilSA taken from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an American federal agency that monitors the conditions of the seas and air, on April 13, 2023 past 5 a.m. Manila time, the oil spill image is 9 nautical miles long and 0.25 nautical miles wide.
“9 kilometers long ang slick na ito so medyo mahaba ito, almost half ng EDSA…tapos ang width niya, 400 meters so kalahating kilometro po siya,” according to PhilSA Supervising Science and Research Specialist of the Space Data Mobilization and Applications Division Eng. Roel De la Cruz.
Based on the satellite image, an oil slick was found near where the ship sank, which can be seen as a green dot on the map.
De La Cruz admitted that although there is a high possibility that this is an oil spill based on the satellite data because of the “high” confidence rating given to it, it is still necessary to see on the spot if it is really an oil leak from sunken ship.
Oil from sunken tanker may still be leaking
“Yung confirmation kasi is ibig sabihin nandun ka sa ground and tinignan mo siya at nandun siya talaga,” he said.
De la Cruz insisted these satellite images are essential to immediately see the latest situation of the oil spill.
“Yung advantage ng pag gamit ng satellite sa ganitong klase ng information, malawak lawak yung sakop ng satellite images. Pero kung tayo pupunta para isurvey ang lugar, it will use considerable amount of resources: gasolina ng eroplano, helicopter at barko natin, at mahirap gawin kasi mahaba yan eh almost ten kilometers,” added De La Cruz.
Last week, an educator from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) announced that the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker in Oriental Mindoro may reach Puerto Galera and Batangas.
According to UP-MSI associate professor Dr. Irene Rodriguez, in the recent projection, based on the current of water and wind, the North has slowed down and is heading north to the Verde Island passage.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.