Tobago Oil Spill Sparks Growing Mysteries as Disaster Recovery Teams Unite

Two weeks after an oil barge capsized near the Caribbean Island of Tobago, causing a national disaster, recovery efforts are ongoing. The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries has hired international disaster recovery teams and a subsea specialist to aid in the search for the tugboat and investigate a bag of cocaine that washed ashore. The barge, which is wedged upside down on a reef, was carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil, resulting in a spill that has covered over 10 miles of the island’s beaches. The spill has raised concerns in neighboring countries about the oil spreading to their areas.

To aid in the recovery efforts, the Ministry has hired licensed oil spill removal organizations to oversee a hydrographic survey and dive crews to assess the situation and attempt to plug leaks in the barge. Subsea Specialists have also been brought in to use remote operated vehicles around the wreck. The first priority is to stop the flow of hydrocarbons and contain the spill, while also maximizing the oil recovery and cleaning operations along the shoreline.

The government has not officially commented on the identity of the tug or its owners, but a maritime attorney has conducted independent research and believes she traced the ownership to a Guyanese entity. She suspects the tug encountered troubles or made an erroneous maneuver, causing the barge to ground, and believes the tug cut the lines to the barge and fled. The government has not commented further on its search for the tug and its owners.

Source .