2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill occurred on 3 April 2010, when the Chinese bulk coal carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...

, ran aground east of Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....

 in Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The vessel is owned by Shenzhen Energy Transport Co. Ltd.

The ship was more than 10 km outside of the shipping lane
Sea lane
A sea lane or shipping lane is a regularly used route for ocean-going and Great Lakes vessels. In the time of sailing ships they were not only determined by the distribution of land masses but also the prevailing winds, whose discovery was crucial for the success of long voyages...

. It struck the reef late in the afternoon of 3 April, scraping along the reef for a considerable distance and creating the longest known grounding scar on the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...

. Tugs were sent to remove the ship which was feared would break apart in rough seas. Eventually the vessel was re-floated and taken to Hervey Bay. After unloading about a third of its cargo the Shen Neng 1 was towed to Singapore. The ship's captain and officer-on-watch were both charged. The maximum fine for shipping companies that cause damage to the reef was increased after the incident.

Grounding incident

The 230 metres (754.6 ft) bulk carrier was en-route to China from Gladstone, Queensland
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...

, when it sailed outside the shipping lane and ran aground on Douglas Shoal at around 17:00 on 3 April, 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) from Rockhampton and 70 km (43.5 mi) east of Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island lies 15 kilometres from the coast off Yeppoon, Central Queensland, Australia. The island is the largest of the eighteen islands in the Keppel Group, and covers an area of more than 14.5 square kilometres...

. One of the vessel's fuel tanks was damaged creating a narrow oil slick of heavy fuel oil 2 nmi (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) from Shen Neng One: though initially estimated at up to 150 tonnes (147.6 LT), on investigation, it was found that only 3 to 4 t (3 to 3.9 LT) was lost. The slick was broken up using chemical dispersant
Dispersant
A dispersant or a dispersing agent or a plasticizer or a superplasticizer is either a non-surface active polymer or a surface-active substance added to a suspension, usually a colloid, to improve the separation of particles and to prevent settling or clumping...

s: the 2 to 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft) swell
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...

 prevented the use of a boom to contain the oil. Maritime Safety Queensland
Maritime Safety Queensland
Maritime Safety Queensland is a Queensland government agency of the Department of Transport and Main Roads. The agency is responsible for the safety of all water vessels in Queensland waterways. It deals with marine pollution and provides pilotage for Queensland ports...

 was considering the possibility that the ship could break up, releasing another 800 t (787.4 LT) of fuel oil. Two tugboats were sent out to help secure and stabilise the Shen Neng 1, and a Queensland Maritime Police launch was placed on standby to rescue the 23 crew if necessary. According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...

, Shen Neng 1 was supposed to be on a route between Douglas Shoal and the Capricorn Islands, but went aground 5.8 nmi (10.7 km; 6.7 mi) outside the shipping lane.

Damage

Sheng Neng 1 created the largest grounding scar on the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...

 known to date. The scar was roughly 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long and 250 m (820.2 ft) wide. Some damaged areas have become completely devoid of marine life. There are concerns that there could be considerable long-term damage to the reef and it will be 10 to 20 years before the reef returns to the state it was in before the incident.

By 13 April 2010 oil tar balls were washing up on the beaches of North West Island
North West Island
North West Island is a coral cay in the southern Great Barrier Reef, located 75 kilometres northeast of Gladstone, Queensland. North West Island forms part of Capricornia Cays National Park and with an area of 1.05 km², the island is the second largest coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef...

, a significant bird rookery
Rookery
A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally birds. A rook is a Northern European and Central Asian member of the crow family, which nest in prominent colonies at the tops of trees. The term is applied to the nesting place of birds, such as crows and rooks, the source of the term...

 and turtle nesting colony.

Response

A preliminary MSQ investigation determined that the ship was 15 nmi (27.8 km; 17.3 mi) off course. MSQ spokesman Adam Nicholson called it "outrageous" that a ship would be that far off course, especially considering that it ended up in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or...

, a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

 that is subject to very stringent environmental restrictions. He likened the situation to a car veering off a two-mile wide road. The location of the grounding means that the fuel may contaminate the Great Barrier Reef, specifically the area around Great Keppel Island and Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the central coast of Queensland, Australia, located 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force,...

. Conservationists, including the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...

 political party and the Capricorn Conservation Council, have questioned the lack of requirement to have pilots
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....

 stationed aboard ships transiting the Barrier Reef.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...

 demanded that Commonwealth authorities "throw the book" at the ship's owner. Bligh said she considered even a minor oil spill "unacceptable,", and claimed that the Shen Neng 1 had broken Australian law by even being in the area. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...

 Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...

 visited the site on 5 April, and said that his government's main task at this point was to "bring to account those who are responsible" for threatening what he called Australia's greatest natural asset. He also promised to review shipping rules in the area, amid reports that many vessels frequently took shortcuts, or "rat runs," around the reef. However, only parts of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, are closed to commercial shipping, and while Douglas Shoal itself is not zoned for use by shipping, the passage between Douglas Shoal and the Capricorn Islands is in a zone that is free for use by shipping. As mentioned above, however, even those areas open to shipping are subject to very stringent restrictions. Additionally, data from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...

 shows that the route between Douglas Shoal and the Capricorn Islands is known by AMSA to be used by the vast majority of vessels travelling between the North and Gladstone via the Coral Sea.

Rudd said the company could be fined up to , while Bligh said the owner could be fined up to A$1 million. The master of the vessel is facing a fine of up to A$55,000 while the chief officer-on-watch is facing a fine of up to A$220,000 Anna Bligh raised the maximum penalty to A$10 million for shipping companies that cause damage to the reef by groundings.

On 14 April 2010 Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...

 officers executed a search warrant on the vessel and arrested the ship's master and chief officer-on-watch. They faced the Gladstone Magistrates Court on 15 April 2010. The ship's master was charged with liability for a vessel which caused damage to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and granted bail and allowed to leave Australia. The chief officer-on-watch was charged with the offence of being the person in charge of a vessel that caused damage to the park. He was granted bail on the condition that he reside on the carrier until a more permanent bail arrangement is reached.

The vessel was re-floated on 12 April and anchored in waters near Great Keppel Island. It was first thought that the ship would be taken to Gladstone to unload its cargo of 65,000 tonnes of coal. However the Sheng Neng 1 was taken to the calmer waters of Hervey Bay because it was determined that the damage to the ship posed a risk of it breaking apart while passing through the Port of Gladstone
Port of Gladstone
The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia. It is the world's fourth largest coal exporting terminal. It forms and integral part of the City of Gladstone in Central Queensland and is located about 525 km north of...

.

There was concern amongst conservationists that a leaky ship was brought into a whale sanctuary and Great Sandy Marine Park. The Department of Environment and Resource Management carried out seabed surveys before and after the ship was anchored in the waters off Hervey Bay for 10 days. It found there was no evidence of environmental harm. The Clipper Mistral was berthed alongside the bulk carrier and using its own crane began removing 19,000 tonnes of coal on 12 May 2010.

The beach clean-up and removal of oil from the North West Island commenced on 15 April 2010. The ship was connected to a tug for its journey to Singapore on the 31 May 2010.

Investigation

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...

 released a preliminary report into the grounding of the ship on 15 April 2010. The report has found that the chief officer-on-watch had neglected to program a proposed course change into the ship's GPS navigation system due to fatigue. The report stated, that the chief officer-on-watch failed to plot the ship's position on the Nautical chart
Nautical chart
A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land , natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and man-made aids...

 in appropriate intervals and for that reason was not aware of the proximity of the shoal. The Great Barrier Reef Vessel Traffic Service
Vessel Traffic Service
A vessel traffic service is a marine traffic monitoring system established by harbour or port authorities, similar to air traffic control for aircraft...

 was not able to warn him due to limited coverage of the area by their systems.

Recommendation

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is expected to recommend extending a Vessel Tracking System
Vessel tracking systems
Vessel tracking systems are a voluntary system in which vessels mount a tracking satellite device on the vessel so that their movements, course, speed etc can be transmitted and analyzed from great distances – of great use in determining whether a ship or boat is in distress and or vectoring rescue...

 for the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef. Currently the tracking system runs from the Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...

 to just south of Mackay and does not cover the southern part of the reef.

See also

  • Oil spill
    Oil spill
    An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...

  • 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill
    2009 southeast Queensland oil spill
    The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred on 11 March 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia, in which 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish after...

  • Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef
    Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef
    The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for 2,600 kilometres and cover an area of approximately 344,400 km². The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast...

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