Photos: Bunker Spill Prompts Suspension of Port Operations at Gibraltar

On Tuesday morning, a bunkering accident released fuel into the water at an anchorage in the Bay of Gibraltar, prompting a temporary closure of operations at the busy port. 

At 0822, a ship that was taking on bunker fuel from a small bunker tanker experienced an overflow, resulting in a spill. The Gibraltar Port Authority activated a response plan, and containment and cleanup operations are under way. In the initial phase, the authority does not plan to quantify the amount of the release, but will focus first on the cleanup process. 

Oil spill Bay of #Gibraltar this morning Note black patch down hull of MT Gas Venus #OPWest pic.twitter.com/BxmIil8s8s

— Michael J Sanchez (@key2med) August 1, 2023

Several beaches have been closed to swimming due to the risk that bunker fuel may wash up on shore. Boaters, fishermen and swimmers have been advised to use caution when using the bay until the all-clear is sounded. The port authority has not yet provided a timeline for the resumption of normal operations. 

“Early indications that the impact of the oil spill has been limited to the area of Camp Bay and Rosia Bay and its immediate vicinity have been confirmed by drone footage obtained this morning," the authority said in a statement Tuesday. 

Local environmental groups noted that it is the second oil release in the bay within a year, following the grounding and fuel spill from the lost bulker OS 35. The last piece of that wrecked vessel was only removed last week. "As long as bunkering activities remain in the Bay [we] will have to contend with the plethora of environmental damages it causes," asserted the Nautilus Project, a local marine conservation NGO. 

The ship has been identified as the 2017-built LPG tanker Gas Venus. The 28,000 dwt vessel was taking fuel at the port after a 10-day voyage from Point Lisas in Trinidad and Tobago, according to vessel tracking data. As of Wednesday morning she remained at an anchorage within the bay.