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Metula; First Narrows, Strait of Magellan

First Narrows, Strait of Magellan | 1974-Aug-09

Initial Notification: On August 9, 1974, at 2220, the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) Metula ran hard aground on Satellite Bank, at the western end of First Narrows in the Strait of Magellan near the southern tip of South America. The vessel was traveling from west to east at nearly fifteen knots and came to a stop in approximately 260 feet (the Metula was over one thousand feet long and ordinarily required three miles to stop). Oil immediately began pouring into the water from ruptured cargo and fuel tanks. Keyword: Air-Deliverable Anti-Pollution Transfer System (ADAPTS), lightering..

Incident Details
Products of concern:Light Arabian Crude Oil, Bunker C
Latitude (approximate): 52° 34.00′ South
Longitude (approximate): 69° 41.00′ West