Giant slick nears coast

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 9

Giant slick nears coast

NZPA-Reuter Singapore: A giant oii slick floated yesterday towards the southern Malaysian coast from a crippled oil tanker and a big anti-pollution exercise was being prepared. The 99,000-tonne Taiwan tanker Fortune, which was in collision with the United States aircraft carrier Ranger on Thursday, was lying dead in the water about 20 nautical miles off Malaysia’s south-east corner. Her crew are still aboard and she is in no immediate danger. No more oil is leaking and she is not taking water. No decision has yet been taken about her salvage. Oil men who flew over the oil slick yesterday morning said it had extended during the night to 30km long by 9km wide, and had moved about 12 nautical

i miles. It was approaching: the Malaysian coast at about; one mile an hour and could reach it during the day if the prevailing currents and winds kept up. It is now about 8 nautical miles off the Horsburgh lighthouse, which is 12 miles south of the nearest landfall. “The wind has picked up and the slick appears to be moving and spreading faster than last night, but it could move away from the coast again when the tide turns,” a salvage man who flew over the area yesterday morning said. Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have all been alerted to the danger of . oil pollution and vessels and planes equipped to spray detergent are awaiting orders to. start work. Shipping sources said that

[an anti-pollution expert, a [Captain Long, was being! [flown out from Britain to! advise on the job, and was; not due in Singapore until,! later yesterday. 1 The fate of the stricken vessel, which was carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, and has been lying with her - engines shut down since the collision before dawn yesterday, still has to be decided. But a shipping source said it was almost certain more oil would have to be pumped from her if she was going to be moved.