On the night of June 5, a crude oil spill occurred off the coast of Sriracha in Thailand’s Chonburi Province due to a raptured pipeline.
The incident happened at the SBM-2 (Single Buoy Mooring) terminal while the Phoenix Jamnagar, a Singapore-registered supertanker, was offloading oil during severe weather. High waves and strong winds caused the ship’s emergency breakaway system to activate, leading to a rupture in the pipeline and a leak of approximately 10,000 to 20,000 litres of crude oil over a 30-minute period.
Thai Oil Public Company Limited, which operates the terminal, immediately halted the transfer and enacted its emergency response plan. The company deployed three containment booms and dispersant chemicals, and dispatched the clean-up vessel Chonthara Anurak to the spill site. By 6:05 a.m. on June 6, Thai Oil had alerted the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center (ThaiMECC) to the incident.
A coordinated multi-agency response followed, involving the Royal Thai Navy, the Marine Department, the Pollution Control Department, and aerial surveillance units using UAVs, helicopters, and a Dornier 228 aircraft. Despite rough sea conditions, the leak was contained and no further oil was visible on the evening of June 6.
No injuries or environmental damage to marine life have been reported so far, though monitoring continues.
