COAST GUARD ASSIST TO SKIM FURNACE OIL MIXED WITH RAIN WATER FROM SAPUGASKANDA OIL REFINERY

SLCG oil spill response teams dispatched on 04^th June 2021 to skim furnace oil overflowing from separator tanks Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery due flooding Heiyanthuduwa area in Sapugaskanda. The heavy downpour due monsoonal rains prevailed in last few days have caused ingress of rain water into separator tanks containing furnace oil at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, managed by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, causing furnace oil flowing out with flood water and drifting into the Kelani River through the Pattivila canal.

The Swift response by Sri Lanka Coast Guard oil spill response team with the assistance of Navy managed to skim the furnace and to prevent further spread of it. A floating boom was placed to prevent the further spread of furnace oil and to skim them by means of an oil skimmer, as it could have an adverse impact on the water distribution of Ambathale and Biyagama water treatment plants if it wasn’t prevented.

By Morning 07^th June, a total of 169,500ltrs of contaminated Furnace oil has been recovered using pumps.