(UPDATE #4) Hua Hin oil slick: From oil tanker? Fishing boats? Still not sure.

Oil from large oil tanker or small fishing boats? Oil spill samples sent to Belgium for 4-6 weeks of testing. Right now, more questions than answers.

UPDATE #4

Hua Hin oil spill: Origins still unknown

The oil spill that washed up on Hua Hin beach on Tuesday, covered a 10km stretch of coast from Hua Hin to Khao Takiab with reports that it also reached the beach outside Klai Kangwon Palace and as far north as Cha-am.

However, proven facts about the oil slick are few and questions many.

Right now, there are only unproven theories of where the oil slick came from.

Satellite imagery later reportedly revealed several fishing vessels at the mouths of the Mae Klong and Tha Chine rivers were discharging oil after the oil slick washed ashore.

Another theory is a leaking oil tanker was the source of the oil spill, as an oil tanker had been spotted at Mae Klong Bay on the night of Oct 22. Further support for this theory came after aerial patrols spotted a 500m-long oil slick about one nautical mile off the coast of Hua Hin; the navy has been looking for a large vessel it believed was still in Thai waters.

Samples were sent to Belgium for testing, so a more definitive idea of the spill’s origin will emerge in the next four to six weeks. Tests would help determine whether the slick came from a leaking tanker or ships which flushed out oil and rubbish somewhere nearby -- which seems to be the most likely cause — or from other petroleum-related activity in the Gulf of Thailand -- less likely, since no incidents have been reported.

Since more than 10km of beach was affected, it is hard to imagine the oil slick amounted to less than 1,000 litres. This would make it a Tier 3 oil spill, the most serious under the Pollution Control Department's classifications. These tend to result from serious collisions or leaks in pipelines and storage tanks.

The Hua Hin oil slick appears to be a lot smaller than the oil spill off Rayong two years ago (50,000 litres officially) which struck Koh Samet’s Ao Phrao beach. That oil spill, which came about after a hose burst during a transfer from an undersea oil well to a tanker. The effects of the July 2013 spill were significant, particularly on fisheries but also on tourism, and are still being felt in Rayong today. There were big oil spills in the 1990s and early 2000s in Chon Buri and Rayong after container ship collisions, but no recent oil spills, so long-term progress has been made in solving the problem of oil spills. 

Basic details, however, remain unclear, including: 1. how many litres were spilled, 2. how large the affected area is, 3. how toxic the oil is, 4. if it was all removed and 5. whether that was done at all safely. Then there is the matter of who is responsible. Other important questions include how to prevent this from happening again and whether there are grounds for prosecution.

(Taken from article here)

UPDATE #3

Hua Hin oil slick: Oil leaking from fishing boats to north

Fishing boats to the north of Hua Hin discharging oil into the sea caused the oil slicks that washed ashore at Hua Hin beaches.

The oil slicks originated in the area of two coastal estuaries (Mae Klong & Tha Chine estuaries) and over a period of two to three days floated 100 kilometres south to reach Hua Hin.

This finding was announced on Thursday based on satellite images from the Thailand Earth Observation Satellite by the government Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) (See announcement here & Thai PBS coverage here).

Initially, authorities assumed the pollution came from a leaking oil tanker travelling near Samut Songkhram and Samut Sakhon provinces on Oct 22.

As oil disappeared from Hua Hin beaches on Thursday, tourists began to return

Oil continued to wash ashore which limited the attractiveness of swimming.

Floating offshore, oil slicks and oily garbage remain a big problem and the beach cleanup has to wait for it to reach shore before it can be removed.

(Taken from article here & here & here)

UPDATE #2

ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM

More oil found offshore, 10km oil spill on beaches

The Navy has found more oil offshore in a long band drifting about one nautical mile off the Hua Hin beach. It will likely wash ashore soon.

An initial inspection led to the belief the pollution might have come from cargo vessels.

The Navy made these findings while conducting an aerial inspection of the sea near the oil slick area.

The navy yesterday flew over areas from the King's Klai Kangwon Palace to Suan Son Pradiphat in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Tar balls and petroleum coated garbage has polluted long sections of beaches stretching from Hua Hin district in Prachuap Khiri Khan to neighbouring Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.

Visitors to the beaches have been put off by long stretches of black, sticky garbage washed ashore.

Local authorities have begun the labour intensive task of removing the oil slick from the beaches from Khao Takiap in Prachuap Khiri Khan to Cha-am, spanning over 10 kilometres.

Samples from the oil slick are being analyzed to determine whether the problem was caused by oil producers based in the Gulf of Thailand.

The tar balls and garbage is expected to be removed within two days if there are no new oil slicks.

(Taken from article here)

UPDATE

Cleanup begins, source still unknown

28/10/2015

Government workers and local residents began cleaning up Hua Hin beach on Wednesday after the Prachuap Khiri Khan coastline was fouled with oil, tar balls and petroleum coated garbage. Blackened sand and oil coated objects were scooped up and disposed of in black bags hauled away by garbage trucks.

It was initially believed the oil had spilled from a large vessel far offshore but authorities are still investigating. On Tuesday, government workers used a patrol boat to search for the source of the spill. It is still unclear whether the oil came from a drilling platform or from a commercial vessel.

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— JS100 (@js100radio) October 28, 2015

The areas hardest-hit by the oil spill were a stretch of about 10 kilometres from Khao Takiap to the Hua Hin fishing pier, and in front of the Klai Kangwon Palace. People have been advised not to go swimming at Hua Hin beach until advised that water quality has returned to normal. However, the situation is improving. On Wednesday morning, oil slicks in the bay were not as thick as yesterday. (taken from article here).

ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM

Oil slick, garbage close Hua Hin beach

27/10/2015
Chaiwat Satyaem

Swimmers fled the water at normally clean Hua Hin beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Tuesday as oil and oil coated garbage washed ashore there for the first time.

Large quantities of greasy garbage and balls of oil blackened sections of the shoreline along several kilometres of the popular sandy beach. The oil coated rubbish included leaves, wood and coconut shells.

Thai and foreign tourists quickly left the water to avoid being coated in the black gunk.

Hua Hin mayor Nopporn Wuthikul then closed the beach and ordered local health and environmental officials to clean it up and collect samples for testing.

Hua Hin deputy mayor Pailin Kongphan said it was the first time oil had washed up on Hua Hin beach.

The navy had been asked to track down the source of the oil slick, he said.

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— Nalinee Siriked (@Nalinee_PLE) October 27, 2015

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/745112/oil-slick-garbage-close-hua-hin-beach

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