OIL SPILL BOOKS





Jakob Maersk Spill

Jakob Maersk Spill
Leixoes, Portugal Location
01/29/75
Incident Summary
On January 29, 1975, the Jakob Maersk struck a sand bank while entering the port of Leixoes, Portugal. Explosions followed the grounding. The ship and cargo burned for two days before burning itself out. The hull of the Jakob Maersk sank.

Behavior of Oil
Iranian crude oil is a medium weight product with an API gravity between 31.0 and 33.8 and a viscosity between 6.6 and 9.4 centistokes. Most of the oil was burned in the resulting fire. The authorities made no attempt to control the fire due to a temporary unavailability of dispersants and a desire to burn as much oil as possible. Oil leaked from the sunken hull, and oiled 19 miles of coastline. On February 11, a large release of oil occurred as the prow of the wreck moved on the rocks. Of the approximately 600,000 barrels of oil on board, an estimated 300,000-375,000 barrels were consumed in the fire, 150,000-187,500 barrels drifted out to sea and dispersed. The approximately 112,500 barrels of oil remaining impacted the shoreline.

Countermeasures and Mitigation
The fire was intentionally permitted to burn in the hope that it would consume most of the oil rather than allowing it to oil the shoreline. Straw was spread to absorb the unburned oil that leaked from the ship. Dispersants were first used on January 31, after the fire had died, and continued to be applied through mid-March. Two thousand barrels of dispersant were used and appeared to have some effect on the oil.

Other Special Interest Issues
Some mild cases of respiratory problems occurred among local inhabitants due to exposure to the air pollution created by the fire.

Results of fisheries sampling by authorities from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations determined that fishes from the area were safe for human consumption.

References
  • Canelas, L.D., Calejo Monteiro, J.D. 1977. Some Studies of an Oil Spillage Due to the Jacob Maersk Accident. Oil Spill Conference Proceedings 1977. pp. 281-288.
  • Department of State telegram.

    This content has been excerped from:

    Oil Spill Case Histories 1967-1991: Summaries of Significant U.S. and International Spills
    From NOAA / Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division
    Seattle, Washington
    September 1992



    • Copyright OilSpills.org 2004.
    All Rights Reserved.