12 February 2008

TUGS at the port of Sullom Voe had to use their propellers to brake up a light sheen of hydraulic oil, on Sunday.

The port’s general manager Jim Dickson said: “Towards the final part of deballasting of the Overseas London they noticed a slight sheen, deballasting was stopped and they broke it up with propeller action. The oil was not crude it was hydraulic oil.”

The completion of the deballasting was not permitted, and the tanker had to sail with several thousand tonnes of ballasting water still on board.

“It was no more than you would see in any other normal port, just a trace of rainbow sheen that’s all it was,” Mr Dickson said.