Sanko Harvest; Esperance, Western Australia

Esperance, Western Australia | 1991-Feb-13

Initial Notification: On the night of February 13, 1991, the Panamanian bulk cargo carrier Sanko Harvest grounded on a submerged rock pinnacle 23 miles south of Esperance, Western Australia. The vessel, out of the shipping lane at the time of the incident, was loaded with 30,000 metric tons of fertilizer, diammonium phosphate, and triple superphosphate. The double hull of the vessel was ripped open in the grounding and the freighter began leaking its fuel oil. On February 18, the ship broke in two in a storm and sank with its entire cargo and bunker fuel. Approximately 3,500 barrels of fuel oil were spilled during the incident. The remaining 900 barrels of oil sank with the ship. Keyword: Sorbents, sinking, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), Corexit 9527.