St. Eustatius Refinery Terminal; St. Eustatius Island in the Caribbean

St. Eustatius Island in the Caribbean | 1992-Mar-15

Initial Notification: On March 15, 1992, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Office (MSO) San Juan received a report of a broken 24-inch diameter pipe at the oil terminal on The Netherlands-owned island of St. Eustatius. Except for a cold front coming through the spill area, the winds were normal trade winds. The flow rate at the time of rupture was 8,000 barrels per hour. Terminal personnel were able to secure the flow about two minutes after the two-foot long rupture occurred. The facility estimated that 200 to 400 barrels of #6 fuel oil had been released. Initial reports of the slick ranged from 9 to 20 nautical miles long and an unknown width. Dispersant operations were started immediately by applying Jan-Solv 60 from a tug. Federal agencies conferring daily via conference call included: USCG, NOAA, Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Gulf Strike Team. USCG district 7. Keyword: Corexit(tm) 9517 (or 9527), Caribbean RRT, Jan Solv-60, deflection boom.