Venoil; Cape St. Francis, South Africa

Cape St. Francis, South Africa | 1977-Dec-16

Initial Notification: On the morning of December 16, 1977, the Venoil and the Venpet collided 40 miles off Cape St. Francis, South Africa. The Venpet was damaged, releasing burning bunker oil over the starboard deck of the Venoil and into the surrounding water. The Venoil suffered serious fire damage. The impact also holed two of the Venoil's tanks. Both ships were abandoned, and began to drift towards the coast. The fires on board both vessels went out as they drifted. Keyword: Manual removal, straw, suction operations, sub-surface oil, collision, fire, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF)..