Around
400 tons of oil spilt into the Yellow Sea after a tanker collided with another
ship off China's largest crude-receiving port earlier this week, maritime
authorities said Thursday.
"The amount of oil spilt from the ship
into the sea is about 400 tons, and the emergency disposal work is being
carried out in an orderly manner," said Shandong Maritime Safety
Administration in a social media post.
"The collision incident has had no
impact on ships entering and leaving Qingdao port."
It
added that 12 decontamination vessels were deployed to clean up the oil spill,
which took place around 40 nautical miles (75 kilometers) off-shore from
Qingdao port in northeast China.
Panamanian
bulk carrier "Sea Justice" struck the Liberian oil tanker "A
Symphony" near Qingdao around 9 am Tuesday, causing the tanker to lose
"a quantity of oil", according to a previous statement from vessel
managers Goodwood Ship Management.
"All crew members have since been
accounted for, and there are no injuries."
An
unnamed official with the Maritime Safety Administration told Chinese state
newspaper Global Times on Thursday that the cargo was labelled as "bitumen
solution" but its specific content requires further testing.
"The oil leak is in full disposal now
and if technological controls are in place, it will certainly keep the impact
on the environment to the minimum," the official was quoted as saying.
After
the collision, vessels were told not to go within ten nautical miles (18.5
kilometers) of the area, according to a separate notice by the Maritime Safety
Administration.
Goodwood
Ship Management said Thursday that "managers are continuing to work
closely with the MSA on the cleanup operation and the investigation into the
incident."
It
previously said poor visibility in the area was hampering oil spill clean-up
efforts.
