PCG begins oil recovery from aground MV Mirola 1 off Bataan coast

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz, Philippine News Agency

FILE: OIL RECOVERY. Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard begin on Thursday (Aug. 1, 2024) the manual recovery of oil from MV Mirola 1 that ran aground off the coast of Mariveles, Bataan. The ship is the third vessel containing a cargo of oil that either sank or ran aground in Bataan waters in the last weeks of July. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday began an oil recovery operation from MV Mirola 1 that ran aground in Mariveles, Bataan.

In a situation update, the PCG said the oil from the ship is being manually recovered by PCG personnel.

Most of the oil is “sludge oil” or the combined oil from machinery, engine/motor oil, and diesel.

“Inilalagay ng mga PCG personnel sa malalaking drum ang nakolektang langis na dadalhin naman sa isang waste disposal facility para masigurong hindi maka pagdudulot ng masamang epekto sa kalusugan ng mga residente (PCG personnel are putting the oil into big drums to be sent to a waste disposal facility to ensure that the collected oil will not have harmful effects),” it said.

On Wednesday, MV Mirola 1 ran aground in shallow waters off the coast of Sitio Quiapo, Barangay Biaan in Mariveles, resulting in the ship tilting to its side.

The vessel is equipped with two tankers filled with diesel oil and is the third ship that sank or ran aground in Bataan, resulting in an oil leak.