Jet fuel spills into North Sea after tanker collision

A major rescue operation is currently underway in the North Sea after an oil tanker and a cargo vessel collided this morning off the coast of Hull. In the pictures, show smoke billowing from both ships. The American-flagged tanker is the Stenner Immaculate, which, according to the tracking data, was seemingly at anchor outside Hull when it was hit by the Salong, a Portuguese-flagged container ship heading south from the Scottish port of Grange mouth towards Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East was told there was a massive fireball after the collision. Reports of people abandoning ship, lifeboats, and firefighting teams quickly dispatched to the scene followed. More than 30 casualties have so far been brought ashore at Grimsby. The Coast Guard rescue helicopter was scrambled from Humberside, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe, and Cleethorpes. This is the map of the location; the collision site is around 20 km off the coast.

If we switch to this map from Marine Traffic, you’ll see that at the time, there were many ships in that area, as you'd fully expect on any given day. There is a lot of shipping that comes in and out of the Humber Estuary and the container port in Hull. So, an obvious question is, why wasn’t more care taken? Let’s speak to our reporter Rowan Bridge, who's just arrived in Grimsby.

Rowan, let's start with the rescue. What do we know about the crews onboard?

Yes, well, we know that at least 32 people have been brought ashore following the collision. They were brought through the port here in Grimsby, where I am. However, the condition of some of those is not yet known. We know that at least 20 people who were on board the tanker have been accounted for, but the condition of the others brought to shore isn’t clear at the moment. We’ve seen ambulances and emergency services turning up, presumably ferrying people to the hospital, whether that be Grimsby or Hull, or perhaps further afield, depending on the seriousness of their injuries.

If you saw some of the footage, as you mentioned in your introduction, there were reports of a massive fireball at sea. Then, in the video footage, you can see black smoke billowing from the oil tanker. But what’s not clear is exactly how people were able to get off the ship and how seriously injured they were before managing to get off. There may still be people to be accounted for.

It seems fair to ask, Rowan, do we know what conditions were like out at sea?

That’s still one of the things that will be investigated. As you said, Christian, at the time this happened, one of the vessels was at anchor. It had traveled from Greece up towards the port of Hull and was anchored off the coast of East Yorkshire when it was struck by the cargo vessel. What’s not clear is why that could happen in daylight conditions today—this was reported at about 10:00 this morning, so it would have been daylight. What’s not clear is what led to the circumstances that allowed the collision to happen.

Another thing we don’t know yet is what was onboard the two vessels at the time—what was on board the oil tanker, and what might the implications be of that? Clearly, that vessel is on fire, but exactly what was on board at the time, and what the implications of any spill from that vessel might be, are still unclear. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has arrived here and has started preliminary investigations into what happened, but we are still very much in the early stages.

Rowan, thank you very much for that. Let’s check in with our reporter Phil McC, who's been following the live events and the reactions.

Phil, tell us a little more about these two ships. What do we know about them?

Following on from what Rowan was saying, we’ve actually had an update from the US logistics firm Crowley, which operates and is also the joint owner of the MV Stenner Immaculate, the oil tanker. It says that the tanker was carrying jet fuel when it was hit by the container ship Salong in the North Sea this morning. So, not crude oil, but jet fuel. The hope, of course, is that this is the kind of fuel that can dissipate, as opposed to crude oil, which can cause significant environmental damage, especially on coastlines.

They’ve also said that all of the ship’s crew—more than 20 people—are safe and accounted for. However, they also mentioned that jet fuel is pouring into the sea. They’ve given us a statement saying: “A fire occurred as a result of the collision, and fuel was reported as being released. The Stenner Immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions on board.” They give a very dramatic account of what happened, but they’ve confirmed that all Crowley Mariners are safe and fully accounted for now.

The BBC understands that the fuel on board this ship was owned by the US government, which is consistent with the fact that we know that vessel was part of a US government arrangement designed to supply the US Armed Forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency. To be clear, we don’t necessarily know that this ship was delivering fuel for that reason, but we do know that it was US government-owned fuel.

As for the other ship involved, the Salong, we haven’t had confirmation yet from its owners or operators about how many people were onboard. We know that 32 people have so far been reported as rescued and brought ashore at Grimsby, but we still have no details on exactly what caused the collision.

But, as I mentioned, Phil, there was quite a lot of traffic in and around the outskirts of the Humber Estuary, as you would expect on any given day. So the question is, why wasn’t the approaching ship taking more care?

Yes, absolutely. We do know what happened from tracking data, but not necessarily why it happened. The oil tanker was at anchor—it was effectively stopped in the North Sea—and the Salong was coming from the port of Grangemouth in Scotland, heading across to Rotterdam. It hit the oil tanker head-on.

You mentioned that this area is busy with traffic. There are also a lot of wind turbines in this part of the North Sea now. There are many ships that service those wind turbines.

Indeed, we know that at about 10:00 this morning, when the collision occurred, a Mayday call went out, prompting the Coast Guard and lifeboats to respond. Other ships in the area were also called to assist, especially if they had firefighting capabilities on board.

Phil, thank you for that. We have with us our climate and science reporter, Esme Stallard. An important detail that Phil has just given us is that there was jet fuel onboard. How does the government secure the cargo, and what is the significance of jet fuel over crude oil?

Yes, what’s very important here is the type of fuel on board because they behave in different ways. When we think of oil spills, we often think of black crude oil, but this is not what we’re dealing with here. Jet oil, or kerosene, can evaporate very quickly, which means it doesn’t stay in the environment as long. However, that doesn't mean it’s without risk. The fumes can be toxic.

On a smaller scale, it might not kill fish, but it could pose a significant risk to aquatic organisms as it enters the water column. There’s also concern about nearby nature reserves, especially if the spill washes ashore. The RSPB has already issued a statement about their concerns, especially since this incident is close to Bempton Cliffs, home to the biggest gannet colony in England.

We’ve seen a quick response from the UK Coast Guard, and they’ve also been looking into counter-pollution measures to prevent the oil from spreading too far into the sea.

One of the challenges with jet A1 fuel is that it’s very hard to spot. It forms a sheen on the water’s surface, unlike crude oil, which can be thick and black. This makes the cleanup operation more difficult.

Yes, and obviously, there’s huge anxiety among communities in Grimsby, Scarborough, Cleethorpes, and other nearby fishing communities who rely on that area of the North Sea. We’ve already heard from local authorities that locals have raised their concerns with them about the potential environmental impact.

You know, the UK has faced oil disasters in the past. Some may remember the SS Torrey Canyon disaster in 1967, when 100,000 tons of crude oil spilled in Cornwall, killing thousands of fish. While this fuel behaves differently, people will be mindful of that history, and efforts will be made to minimize the environmental impact.

The weather will be key in determining how the situation develops. If winds push the fuel further south, it could affect other coastal areas. The UK Coast Guard, environmental organizations, and local fishermen will all be involved in efforts to manage the situation.

Thank you, Esme. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the weather conditions cooperate.

Mike Ross, the leader of Hull City Council, has been giving his reaction to the decision and what actions are now being taken to contain the damage.

“First, my thoughts go out to all those involved in this terrible incident. Obviously, the crews on the vessels and their families are concerned, but also those who have participated in the rescue efforts, which have been major operations. I’m just really pleased that so far, people have been rescued and taken ashore, and I hope there is more positive news as this unfolds.

“I’ve been contacted by people locally, both within the council and outside, who are concerned about the impact on the coast. The Humber is one of the most dangerous areas in the world, and I know from speaking to the people who operate the vessels and crews that it’s incredibly difficult. This incident is very concerning, and while today may not be the day for questions, there will be a need to understand exactly how it happened so we can avoid it in the future.

“We will need to act quickly to understand the impact and what needs to be done to prevent further damage. The coast is beautiful, and we want to protect it, so there will be significant effort in the coming days to fully understand the impact and take the necessary actions.”

Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council.