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British scientific vessel in Punta Arenas
Magellan Strait oil spill under control.

British scientific vessel in Punta Arenas

British flagged scientific research vessel "Ocean Endeavour" called this week in Punta Arenas fro supplies and according to the local press will be operating from the Chilean port during the next few months. The 77 metres long vessel with a crew of thirty including scientists arrived from New Zealand and is involved in a hydrographic survey and geology collecting data operation in the South Atlantic in an area identified as Gemini. "Ocean Endeavour" according to Punta Arenas maritime agency Saam is working under contract for several oil exploration corporations.

Magellan Strait oil spill under control

A hundred and forty people with beach equipment and a ferry are working to clear the Punta Arenas coastline and adjoining waters from an oil spill following the recent collision of a tanker and a local tug in the Magellan Strait close to the region's main Chilean port. Ricardo Pivcevic manager of Servicios Maritimos Litoral the company contracted to clean the area affected by the oil spill estimates that by the end of the month "the job will have concluded; we've faced no major setbacks and we're keeping to the original timetable". However Mr. Pivcevic admitted that the certification of the conclusion of activities will not be easy since "several Chilean government Departments are involved in the recovery operation". "Obviously these agencies will be very demanding and lately some of the finished areas have been again spoilt by the backlash of the spill". The company has deployed in the area two retro-excavators, several trucks, motorcycles, a ferry and the logistic infrastructure needed for the task. "We have 120 people working along the coastline while the rest are involved in collecting the residues from the "big bags" cordoning the spill, which help filter and collect the oil from the sea", explained Mr. Pivcevic. So far 308 drums and 15,141 bags of oily residues have been collected. "They will be eventually transported in containers to Concepción to be incinerated", added Mr. Pivcevic who expects to finish the job in another three/four weeks.