Sivand
On 28 September 1983, the Iranian tanker the Sivand rammed into a jetty at the Immingham oil terminal in the Humber estuary. Tanks ruptured and more than 6,000 tonnes of Nigerian light crude oil spilled in the estuary. The oil slick caused a significant amount of pollution on the shoreline.
Response
The Marine Pollution Control Unit (MPCU) of the Department of Transport
was immediately contacted by the Coast Guards. 6 tugs and 4 aircraft
were sent on site to spray dispersants. The vessel spraying operation
started on the morning of the incident. The aircraft could only
be used in the afternoon because of the meteorological conditions.
The spraying operations ended on 30 September.
In the meantime, skimmers were used to recover oil from the estuary.
Beaches were cleaned with front end loaders and shovels. Booms were
deployed at Immigham between the docks, and oil was recovered using
skimmers. On 2nd October, a helicopter deployed booms to protect
the creek in the Blacktoft Sands Nature Reserve.
Response operations ended on 11 October.
Impact
and compensation
The oil slick seriously damaged the estuary. This area was of particular
scientific interest and an large number of birds used to live there.
At least 4,000 of them were oiled. The shoreline, mudflats and saltmarshes
were also impacted. Some oiled fishing nets were also found.
Total costs for cleaning operation amounted to $300,000 (246,300
euros).
Name: Sivand
Date: 28 September 1983
Location: England
Accident area: Humber estuary
Cause of spill: grounding
Quantity transported: 190,000 tonnes
Type of pollutant: Nigerian light crude oil
Quantity spilled: 6,000 tonnes
Ship type: oil tanker
Date built: 1971
Shipyard: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Nagasaki
Length: 326 m
Width: 48.77 m
Flag: Iranian
Owner: National Iranian Tanker Co.
Links
Sources:
- NOAA, Oil spill case histories 1967-1991, Report No. HMRAD 92-11 to the US Coast Guard Research and Development Center
- SCHIDT ETKIN, Dagmar, Dr, Financial Costs of Oil Spills Worldwide, Cutter Information Corp. (publisher of the weekly Oil Spill Intelligence Report newsletter), 1998
- CD Rom: International Oil Spill Conference, Proceedings: Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Restoration – Perspectives for a Cleaner Environment, Vancouver, April 6-11, 2003
Last update: June 2011