Tanker hits coral reef, spilling 600,000 barrels of crude oil

The King Fisher tanker crashed against a coral reef south of the Nusa Kambangan Island located south of the Java Island Saturday afternoon, spilling 600,000 barrels of crude oil into the sea, Suara Merdeka daily reported.

The accident occurred when the tanker was heading to the port owned by state oil and gas company Pertamina's Cilacap refinery.

The paper said the oil spill then spread onto the cost of the Penyu Gulf, a tourism spot in the area. The local fishermen and tourist who came to the cost Sunday morning were shocked at finding the coast had turned into black due to the oil spill.

The paper said Pertamina soon hired 300 local fishermen to clear the coast of the oil spill from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday with a salary of Rp 30,000 per person.

Refinery manager Suyitno Syam said on Sunday the tanker carried 270,000 barrels of Sumatra Light Crude oil from the Dumai area in Riau and 330,000 barrels of Attaka crude oil from East Kalimantan.

"The tanker hit the Karang Bolong coral reef when it was being guided by the tug boat owned by the Tanjung Intan port authorities. The side of the tanker was broken and the crude oil spilled out of the holes on the side of the tanker," he said.

He said Pertamina had used oil boom to keep the oil spill from spreading into other areas, promising to totally clear the sea of the oil spill. (*)