Port Arthur in Texas has been shut indefinitely as a result of Saturday's spill of at least 450,000 gallons of crude oil into port waters from an AET tanker chartered by ExxonMobil.
According to a US Coast Guard officer, the tanker collided with two barges and as of Sunday only about 10% of the total amount of crude oil spilled has been removed by clean-up crews.
“An estimated 462,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from barrels aboard the tanker, forcing the closure of the port in southern Texas,” a US Coast Guard officer told CNN.
The Sabine Neches Waterway adjacent to Port Arthur has also been officially closed to all traffic.
There has been no official estimate available on when the key US oil port or its waterways will re-open, or when clean-up operations are scheduled to be completed.
“We're not going to open the port until it's determined that vessels can pass through cleanly, safely and not cause further damage,” said a US Coast Guard spokesman.
The AET-owned and operated 1994-built 95,663 dwt aframax crude oil tanker Eagle Otome collided with at least one barge on Saturday morning, causing the spill.
According to an ExxonMobil spokesman, the Eagle Otome is currently on charter to ExxonMobil and was carrying close to 600,000 gallons of crude oil to the oil major's Beaumont Refinery “when it crashed”.
“The cause of the crash was unknown, but is under investigation,” said the spokesman.
Market players told Portworld on Monday that ExxonMobil's Beaumont Refinery, which has capacity to process up to 350,000 barrels per day, is a key contributor to domestic crude oil consumption requirements.
ExxonMobil said over the weekend that it is not expecting the spill to affect normal operations at Beaumont Refinery.
The Eagle Otome's owners - Malaysian-controlled leading aframax operator AET - meanwhile, has through a spokesman said that 15 skimming vessels, 45,000 feet of boom, and 500 personnel for containment, are already involved in cleaning operations.
According to a US Coast Guard officer, the tanker collided with two barges and as of Sunday only about 10% of the total amount of crude oil spilled has been removed by clean-up crews.
“An estimated 462,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from barrels aboard the tanker, forcing the closure of the port in southern Texas,” a US Coast Guard officer told CNN.
The Sabine Neches Waterway adjacent to Port Arthur has also been officially closed to all traffic.
There has been no official estimate available on when the key US oil port or its waterways will re-open, or when clean-up operations are scheduled to be completed.
“We're not going to open the port until it's determined that vessels can pass through cleanly, safely and not cause further damage,” said a US Coast Guard spokesman.
The AET-owned and operated 1994-built 95,663 dwt aframax crude oil tanker Eagle Otome collided with at least one barge on Saturday morning, causing the spill.
According to an ExxonMobil spokesman, the Eagle Otome is currently on charter to ExxonMobil and was carrying close to 600,000 gallons of crude oil to the oil major's Beaumont Refinery “when it crashed”.
“The cause of the crash was unknown, but is under investigation,” said the spokesman.
Market players told Portworld on Monday that ExxonMobil's Beaumont Refinery, which has capacity to process up to 350,000 barrels per day, is a key contributor to domestic crude oil consumption requirements.
ExxonMobil said over the weekend that it is not expecting the spill to affect normal operations at Beaumont Refinery.
The Eagle Otome's owners - Malaysian-controlled leading aframax operator AET - meanwhile, has through a spokesman said that 15 skimming vessels, 45,000 feet of boom, and 500 personnel for containment, are already involved in cleaning operations.