Sun Anchorage T/S Torm Mary; Port Neches, TX

Port Neches, TX | 2004-Aug-02

Initial Notification: At 0530 on August 2, 2004, the NOAA Scientific Support Team was requested by MSO Port Arthur for an oil spill in the Natchez River in Texas. The T/V Torm Mary was struck by a fuel barge readying to load, leaving roughly a 5'x 1' crack in the Torm Mary . The area hit covered part of the engine room and part of a fuel tank, spilling some of the IFO 380 into the engine room. The 258 metric ton fuel container that was cracked was estimated at 95% full before the collision and twenty minutes later, at 0040 only 50% full, with an estimated 110 metric tons of oil outside the vessel. On-water recovery and shoreline clean up was employed. 280 bbls of oil were recovered and miles of shoreline were cleaned over a 3 week period.