Boehlen
On 15 October 1976, an East German oil tanker, Boehlen, transporting
9,500 tonnes of "Boscan", a type of Venezuelan heavy crude
oil, heading towards Rostock (Germany), was caught in a violent
storm and sank off the coast of Sein island. The majority of the
oil, which had been heated to 40-45 °C to facilitate pumping
when unloaded, leaked from the tanks. The Polmar plan was triggered.
The vast oil slicks hit the shores of Sein Island, before reaching
the Breton coastline, where they threatened the local fauna (fish,
molluscs and crustaceans).
On
the coastline, the army collected 1,000 tonnes of Boscan, mixed
with 7,000 tonnes of various residues, using buckets and shovels.
At sea, the Polmar authorities first tried to plug the leaks of
the wreck by filling them with concrete. Then in February 1977,
due to pressure from local fishermen and the tourist industry,
the French Government decided to pump out the 2,500 tonnes of
crude oil left in the tanks. The method, established by the French
Oil Institute (IFP), involved pumping the oil out using seawater
heated to 80°C. The operation was implemented using the Petrel,
a French dynamic positioning drill ship. It began in May 1977
and finished at the end of August 1977. The crude oil collected
at sea was burnt using a flare.
25 of the 32 crew members lost their lives in this accident, as
well as two divers, during the pumping operation. One soldier,
involved in the onshore clean-up operation, was swept out to sea
by a large swell.
Name: Boehlen
Date: 15 October 1976
Location: France
Accident area: 107 m off the coast of Sein island
Type of ship: oil tanker
Date built: 1961
Flag: East German
Type of pollutant: Boscan, a heavy Venezuelan crude oil
Quantity transported: 9,500 tonnes
Quantity spilled: approximately 7,000 tonnes
Cause of spill: damage to ship
Last update: April 2006