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Atlantic Empress Explosion
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Atlantic Empress Explosion
What was this explosion?
What was it?
Two fully loaded VLCC's (Very Large Crude Carrier), the Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain, collided during a tropical rainstorm. Both vessels began leaking oil immediately after the collision and both caught fire. Several crewman on both ships lost their lives as well. The fire aboard the Aegean Captain was brought under control but the Empress was still blazing. A week later the Empress was towed further out to sea, still ablaze, it caused an explosion and eventually sank.
What was it like before the collision?
Before the spill...
The 347 meter long, 292,666 dwt (deadweight tonnage) VLCC Atlantic Empress was en route to Beaumont, Texas from Saudi Arabia. Built in 1974, the 5 year old tanker was headed to the Mobil Oil terminal with 276,000 tons of light crude oil. Heading in the opposite direction, the 210,257 dwt VLCC Aegean Captain was en route to Singapore with 200,000 tons of light and heavy crude oil from Curacao and Bonaire, an island lying off the coast of Venezuela in the Southern Caribbean.
What happened during the spill?
During the spill...
Visibility was near zero as a tropical rainstorm with heavy downpour was nearing the two vessels. On the Aegean Captain, the second officer caught sight of the Atlantic Empress as the two vessels were just meters away. He ordered the Aegean Captain to maneuver away from the Atlantic Empress, but there was no way to prevent the collision. The bow of the Aegean Captain struck a glancing blow into the side of the Atlantic Empress. Immediately, there was a large explosion and both tankers burst into flames.
Facts about the event
1
It spilled some 280,000 tons of crude oil resulting in creating the fifth largest oil spill on record.
2
It was the second costliest oil spill ever recorded.
3
The estimated disaster amount was about 1.8 billion barrels.
What happened after the explosions?
After the spill...
Firefighters from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard brought the fires aboard the Captain under control the next day, and members of her crew returned to the ship. The crew was able to bring her into Curacao, where her cargo was off-loaded. Meanwhile, a five-man specialist emergency crew from the SMIT Salvage and the German Bugsier, attempted to control the fire aboard the Empress. After some time of failure, the ship eventually sank, having spilled much of the crude oil in the ship.
Could have...
Fueled a jet for 1 440 000 miles
Fueled a car for 64 350 years
- Which equals =
- Which equals =
2 193 750 gas tanks
58 trips around the globe
Resources lost from this spill...
- Which equals =
- Which equals =
35 100 000 gallons
7 200 000 gallons of jet fuel
Bought 43 wind turbines
- Which equals =
Power to 15398 homes for a year
- Which equals =
$85 000 000
Location of the spill
Where did it happen?
The Empress and Captain collision took place approximately 18 miles off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean. Being tugged away from the collision because of the fire, the Empress was towed about 200 miles from the area for safety reasons.
Map of the spill
Who was involved?
Who was apart of the event?
SS Atlantic Empress
Registered: Greece
Captain: Stuart A. Horn
Aegean Captain
Registered: Liberia
Captain: Phillip Neal
Who cleaned up the spill?
Bugsier Tugging Company
SMIT Salvage
Trinidad and Tobago coast guards
When did this event happen?
When did it take place?
On July 19, 1979, two VLCC tankers collided off the island of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. Around 7 p.m., the two vessels were passing in the some 18 miles off the island of Tobago. The day after the first explosions and the fires had been put out the Captain was towed to Caracao. The empress was carried further out to sea for safety reasons. Two weeks later, the ship sunk.
TIMELINE
The Aegean Captain arrived in Curacao
7/21/79
The Empress was built
2/16/74
The Empress eventually sunk
8/5/79
TIMELINE
The Empress was carried further out to sea
7/22/79
The Empress was on her way to Texas when the ships collided
7/19/79 (1900 hours)
Why did this oil spill occur?
Why did it happen?
A tropical rainstorm had been passing by the island of Tobago and there was nothing the vessels could do about it. Their visions were nothing against the storm and it set the Empress off course directly in line with the Captain. Neither ship was aware of the collision ahead of them due to the heavy rain above them. As the vessels were just meters away, the second officers aboard the Aegean Captain ordered his ship to maneuver away but it was too late, the bow of the Captain struck the side of the Empress.
THIS ISN'T THE ONLY ONE
Notebook
Fare wind and calm seas is what a sailor hopes for when he is at high seas. However, nature is bound to show up... and down. Rough weather may hit a vessel with no time to react. Even if there is a pre-weather warning to ships for a route change or speed alteration, every seamen has experienced high swells and the unfriendly side of the sea, having caused many deaths. Some of the greatest ships have been taken by the seas such as...
Bad weather=bad accidents
- HMS Titanic
- HMS Sussex
- White Ship
- Princess Amelia
Extra information
extra information about...
~the cleanup methods/description
~benefits and disadvantages of the cleanup method
Extras 1.0
"Why the hell would he (Aegean Captain) be heading south? - George Papoulas, Trinidad agent for Atlantic Empress
Cleanup method and description
Cleanup method
The cleanup method used was to burn the oil first and then the rest of it that didn't burn was treated by dispersant and skimmed. Burning the oil was about the easiest part of the whole cleanup. When the two ships collided, a fire started on the ships and burned the oil without anyone having to set it off themselves. The hardest part, on the other hand, was trying to put out the fire. It took multiple days for the fire to reside after the Empress was tugged out to sea. The remaining oil was then "boomed" and skimmed so to leave little to no residue.
reduces shoreline effects
Advantages & Disadvantages
safety hazards amongst the crew and vessels
reduces the effect on the environment
temperature effects
minimal investment of equipment and manpower
process is quick and simple
can only be done in relatively calm weather
Extra Information
extra information about...
~the environmental/social/economic impacts
~the costs of the spill
Extras 2.0
The costs
"No one knows how much oil is in the water." - Lieutenant Geoffrey L. Abbott
Economic
Social
Environmental
Can lead to severe disruption for the tourism industry
Oil spills could be carried away by wave and current action
People who clean up the spill are at risk of breathing problems and stress
Fishing fleets could be affected
When oil spills in the ocean break apart and sink to the ocean floor, it contaminates the underwater habitat too
People who live around the spill could be at risk by breathing the polluted air
Impacts
It can cause a negative effect on property values if applicable
Some chemicals can reside in certain organisms and can continue through the food chain
The gooey mass that makes up an oil slick litters the shoreline with ugly black tar It's dangerous because the coastline is home to many marine life
Total cost of the spill
The cleanup cost of the spill started out as $2 billion but as the spill worsened, the total cost was around $9 billion.