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Kenyan Maritime, Oil-Trade Authorities Talk Down Oil-Spill Alert

Posted on: Saturday, 13 August 2005, 06:00 CDT

Text of unattributed report entitled "Fears of oil spill allayed on arrival of tanker", published by Kenyan newspaper The Standard website on 13 August

Maritime and oil-trade authorities yesterday allayed fears of a spill at Mombasa port as concerns mounted over the status of an oil- tanker due to arrive today with more than 82,000 tonnes of crude.

The director-general of the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), Capt Fredrick Wahutu, said no vessel would be allowed by importers to discharge petroleum products without its status being established.

"If somebody has raised concerns about the vessel's safety, then obviously that is an issue that is going to be addressed by players in the oil sector," he said.

Single-hull vessel

A Kenya Ports Authority official said the state corporation had no powers to stop the tanker from calling at the port on the basis of reports that it was a single-hull vessel.

"Kenya does not have regulations to stop single-hull vessels from calling at its ports, and the only thing that can be done is for the KMA to ensure that the vessel is seaworthy, as provided for in the regulations," the official said.

Maritime environmentalists had issued an oil-spill alert following reports that a tanker had been denied entry into the Gulf region waters because of safety concerns. A new International Maritime Organization rule which took effect on 6 April, outlaws the carrying of petroleum products in one-hull vessels. The tanker is carrying 82,795 tonnes of crude which is to be discharged at the Mombasa oil terminal.

On Somalia coast

It is scheduled to arrive in Mombasa at 6 a.m. today.

The IMO regulation allows port authorities to let some categories of tankers continue operating beyond their phase-out dates.

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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