Tonga eruption responsible for oil spill in Peru | Rigzone

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High ocean waves from a massive volcanic eruption near Tonga caused an oil spill off the coast of Peru, closing beaches and halting fishing after the country’s navy failed to issue a tsunami warning.

The leak occurred on Saturday as a tanker was unloading crude for the La Pampilla refinery owned by Madrid-based Repsol SA. The spill near the resort town of Ventanilla, near the Peruvian capital, has been contained and cleanup is underway, according to a government statement.

The volcanic eruption which took place nearly 11,000 kilometers (6,800 miles) away forced Peru’s environmental authority to close at least two beaches and a national nature reserve. It’s unclear how many gallons of oil the tanker Mare Doricum spilled into the ocean, but the ship was carrying nearly a million barrels of Brazilian crude which was loaded at an oil terminal owned by Petroleo Brasileiro SA. The oil washes up on the shore, leading to the extension of clean-up operations to the beaches.

Repsol and Petrobras did not immediately return calls and emails seeking comment. The cleaning is still in progress.

Footage posted to social media shows birds and rocks covered in muddy oil and crews clad in white hazmat suits along the coast. According to media reports, the spill stretches nearly two miles along the coast. The Peruvian Navy is heavily criticized for not issuing a tsunami warning for the event.

#MGPInforms the population that in the face of the volcanic eruption in Nukualofa – Tonga, this DOES NOT GENERATE A TSUNAMI ON THE PERUVIAN COAST. You are asked to remain calm and inform yourself through the special notices issued by @DHN_peru. Download our app https://t.co/yS6t1kHeWM

— Navy (@naval_peru) January 15, 2022

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano spewed a giant mushroom cloud of smoke and ash, and the tsunami flooded Pacific coasts, blanketing the island of Tonga in ash and submerging part of it.

–With the help of María Cervantes.

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