Crude oil spill reported off Sriracha coast — Thai Oil activates emergency response plan
Thai Oil said it had initiated its emergency response plan, deploying three containment booms around the spill site and applying oil dispersant chemicals to limit the spread.
An oil spill has occurred in the open sea off the coast of Sriracha, Chonburi Province, near the SBM-2 (Single Buoy Mooring) terminal. A black oil slick approximately 10 square metres in size has been observed spreading in the area.
At 6:05 a.m. on Friday (June 6), Thai Oil Public Company Limited reported the crude oil spill to the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center (ThaiMECC). The spill originated from the Phoenix Jamnagar, a Singapore-flagged crude oil tanker (IMO 9828962), while docked at the SBM-2 terminal.
According to the report, the incident occurred at 12:54 a.m., with oil leaking for about 30 minutes. The cause of the spill was identified as a pipeline leak connected to the vessel. The estimated volume of the spill is 10 cubic metres (10,000 litres). The oil was described as thin, black or brown in colour, and scattered in patches covering an area of approximately 10 by 10 metres, drifting southward.
Thai Oil said it had initiated its emergency response plan, deploying three containment booms around the spill site and applying oil dispersant chemicals to limit the spread.
At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Thai Oil issued an official statement confirming that, on June 5 at approximately 11:54 p.m., a crude oil spill occurred at SBM-2 due to unexpected severe weather conditions, including high waves and sudden strong winds.
The company promptly ceased oil transfer operations, following standard safety protocols. The Breakaway Coupling safety mechanism at SBM-2 functioned as designed to prevent structural damage. However, a small volume of oil was released during the valve shutdown phase — an anticipated and contained outcome within the system's safety design.
Containment booms had already been pre-deployed prior to the oil transfer operation, the company said. Currently, there is no further leakage, and SBM-2 remains undamaged. The surface oil slick was caused by high waves and gusty winds displacing oil beyond the containment booms. No injuries have been reported.
Thai Oil continues cleanup efforts according to its refinery’s emergency action plan and is coordinating with government and private sector partners to fully mitigate the environmental impact, the statement said, adding that further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
