The industrial fuel oil (IFO) that has been seeping out at one liter per hour from the cargo tanks of the ill-fated MT Terra Nova, which is why the Philippine Coast Guard, as well as the salvor’s divers, are working hand-in-hand to seal the remaining valves of the tanker and contain the oil spill that is now allegedly visible in some coastal towns of Bulacan and Cavite.

In a virtual press briefing on Monday, Lt. Commodore Mark John Encina said a total of 14 valves inside the sunken tanker vessel were sealed by the salvor as of 29 July.

“We are hoping to seal 24 valves during the conduct of underwater capping today (Monday). The operation is 24/7. The weather is fair in Bataan and we are confident that we can finish the sealing and start siphoning the cargo by Tuesday,” Encina told reporters.

The salvor, Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc., as of Monday, mobilized siphoning equipment that will be used to extract at least 300,000 liters of IFO in the whole siphoning activity throughout the week or so.

“At least 50,000 liters of IFO are targeted to be siphoned per day,” Encina added.

According to Harbor Star, the plan to siphon 300,000 liters of IFO is enough to gain buoyancy and safely tow the sunken vessel to a safe site where the rest of the IFO will be cleared.

Meanwhile, Encina said that the oil sheen and the minimal oil spill formed from the combination of IFO and diesel from the engine of MT Terra Nova are now at 2 to 4 miles in radius towards the southeast, which is smaller compared to the 12 to 14 kilometers reported by the Philippine Space Agency last Saturday.

“We have launched I-CAARE (intensified community assistance, awareness, response, and enforcement) in which residents in coastal communities and local government units are tapped by the PCG to provide awareness and coordination to inform us if the slicks have already reached their towns and municipalities,” Encina said.

Encina maintained that the oil sheen or oil spill is very minimal and still manageable, however, said that they are closely monitoring the situation whether the chemicals have indeed reached the shores of Cavite and Bulacan.

“The moment that we lift the vessel and put it just adjacent to the shore, that is the only time that we can say the situation is under control,” according to Encina.

In the case of MTKR Jason Bradley, which submerged in the vicinity waters of Barangay Cabcaben in Mariveles, Bataan on Sunday, the valves of the diesel cargo were already sealed, and no chance that that the tanks would leak as it only sunk 9 meters deep (muddy bottom) and 600 yards away from the shore.

“The tank has only 5,500 liters of diesel, which can easily dissipate or evaporate. The tank was already empty as of the moment,” he said.