Guyanese officials are on high alert as a tanker carrying millions of gallons of oil is sinking and could spill in the Caribbean Sea in the Gulf of Paria between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Nabarima oil tanker tilting and being suspended by anchor chains
The sinking Nabarima has 1.3 million barrels of crude, which, if spilt, can impact the ecological systems of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago almost immediately.
In fact, the impact of the spill can also affect other countries within the hemisphere, including Guyana.
The tanker is jointly owned by the Venezuelan State-owned company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Italian-oil giant, Eni.
Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in a statement on Tuesday said it is working with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Authority (CDEMA) to closely monitor the situation.
CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig
In a subsequent interview with Guyana Times, CDC’s Director General Kester Craig said from preliminary data available, should a spill happen now, Guyana will be minimally affected.
“We’re looking at the wind and the tide, and based on what we observed…it doesn’t look like it is going to impact Guyana,” Craig said.
However, he cautioned that more accurate models are needed to get a better projection based on more modern models.
In an updated statement, the CDC said it has made several analyses and modelling of the potential threat of an oil spill and the prognosis does not show any direct impact on Guyana’s shores or marine ecosystem from any releases happening.
However, the CDC noted that “indirectly, it may affect fisherfolk who are licensed to operate in surrounding waters off the coast of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.”
Up to news time, while there were no reports of any spills or discharges, there are concerns that if its contents do become discharged into the Gulf of Paria, it can become a major disaster that affects Caribbean countries.
According to the CDC, current response actions being taken are: stabilisation of the vessel by Venezuelan authorities and granting of permission by Venezuela for Trinidad to conduct inspections while alternative FSO vessels are being procured to transfer the cargo onboard the Nabarima.
The CDC said it will continue to liaise with its local, regional and international counterparts to ensure the situation is adequately monitored and that no threats are posed to Guyana.
The Trinidad-based organisation, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) on October 16 ventured out to the Nabarima to provide a firsthand update on the situation.
As seen in the video and photos provided, the tanker is tilting and it is being suspended by anchor chains.
The group’s Corporate Secretary, Gary Aboud surmised that “if something goes on, if we have bad weather, there are a number of circumstances that could cause the vessel to flip, and then there will be no recourse.”
In the meantime, the CDC explained that “should the need arise, the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) will be activated and the Committee will be tasked with conducting analysis, assessments and necessary response measures to mitigate any adverse effect on Guyana.”
The CDC recently completed and officially handed over the country’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan to Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for the sector.
Among other things, the plan accounts for oil and petroleum products entering Guyana’s territorial waters from spills which occur in neighbouring states.
It outlines the framework within which resources will be coordinated and deployed in Guyana for the purpose of dealing with pollution of the land and marine environment from spills of oil and petroleum products.
The plan states that due to the proximity of Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, a spill occurring in any one country may have direct or indirect social, economic, or environmental impacts on the others. Therefore, a good working relationship is to be established among the neighbouring territories in the interest of reducing impacts of major spills that occur near the borders. Additionally, a rapid response agreement of equal rights of access must be established. This is included in Section 2.8 of the Caribbean Island plan. (G11)
