Investigation into petroleum vessel accident (A/Min)

24/2/94

An investigation is being carried out to discover the cause of an accident in which a petroleum industry vessel sank near Thevenard Island, offshore from Onslow.

At 2.50 am today, an anchor-handling tug boat (Boa Force) was assisting a construction barge when it struck the steel top of the plugged Saladin 3 seabed wellhead.

Acting Mines Minister Colin Barnett said the vessels were being used during pipeline laying operations on West Australian Petroleum's (WAPET) offshore Roller/Skate oilfield project.

The Boa Force, which is 43 metres long and weighs 498 tonnes, was holed near its engine room and sank in about seven metres of water. Part of the tug is visible above the water.

The Minister said there were no injuries to the 11 crew members on board the tug. The wellhead was also not damaged.

Mr Barnett said the tug was only carrying enough fuel and fuel oil for its own purposes.

He said a small amount of oil from the surface of the vessel's deck and engine room had floated to the surface and caused a sheen on the waters surrounding the tug. However, Mr Barnett said the sheen was evaporating.

WAPET has placed an oil boom around the tug to contain any potential oil spill. The main fuel and oil tanks on the tug were not damaged during the holing of the vessel and have been secured.

"Western Australia's oil industry has a good track record for fuel handling and this incident has again shown that emergency procedures are in place to guard against any potential oil spills," Mr Barnett said.

The Minister said WAPET was quick to respond to the incident and would concentrate its resources on pumping out fuel and lubricating oil from the tug to another vessel.

Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Marine and Harbours and the Petroleum Division of the Department of Minerals and Energy will further investigate the incident.

Conservation and Land Management officers have been monitoring environmental control. CALM and WAPET have stated that there was no immediate evidence of environmental damage.

Media contact:  Carolyn Vicars - 222 9699