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Olympic Alliance; Dover Strait, Pas de Calais, English Channel

Dover Strait, Pas de Calais, English Channel | 1975-Nov-12

Initial Notification: Shortly after midnight on the morning of November 12, 1975, the tank vessel Olympic Alliance and the Royal Navy Frigate, HMS Achilles collided in Dover Strait. The collision occurred in the northeast traffic lane about 13 miles southeast of Dover, England. One of the Olympic Alliance's cargo tanks was ruptured on impact resulting in the release of 14,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil. The vessels were able to separate without assistance. Visibility at the time of the collision was restricted by fog. Response equipment and personnel were mobilized immediately in accordance with the local contingency plans. Vessels from a variety of sources were obtained for use in the application of dispersant. The Kent County Counsel (KCC) Oil Pollution Officer activated the county's contingency plan and arranged for three fishing vessels to be equipped with dispersant spraying equipment. The District Councils, Southern Water Authority, Nature Conservancy Council, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Sea Fisheries Officer, as well as the coastal power stations were all alerted of the incident. The forward base of operations was established at Dover. Much of the resulting slick was dispersed by natural forces and the application of 2,000 metric tons of the hydrocarbon, solvent-based dispersant BP 1100X. Dispersant was applied in offshore and nearshore areas by surface vessel spraying. Shoreline oiling was estimated at 2,200 barrels. Sand and coarse gravel recreational beaches were oiled. Response activities were concluded on November 18. The vessel was reported to have spilled an additional 73,000 barrels of oil between the site of the collision and Wilhelmshaven, West Germany. Keyword: BP 1100X, skimmer, Shell Oil Herder, collision, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF)..

Incident Details
Products of concern:Iranian light crude oil
Total amount at risk of spill: 588,000 gallons
Latitude (approximate): 50° 59.00′ North
Longitude (approximate): 1° 35.00′ West
On-Water Recovery: Unknown/Not applicable
Shoreline Cleanup: Unknown/Not applicable
Dispersants: Applied
In-Situ Burn: Unknown/Not applicable
Bioremediation: Unknown/Not applicable