SINKING OF TANKER ST. PETER OFF COLOMBIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The tanker St. Peter sank on February 5, 1976 in 1,000 meters of water approximately 30 kilometers off Cabo Manglares, Colombia. The author was assigned on behalf of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) to provide technical advice to the Colombian and Ecuadorian governments regarding countermeasures against pollution. The lack of locally available equipment to locate the vessel and eliminate the source, the logistics involved in mounting operations to reduce the environmental damage, and the need for a response organization are discussed. A particular problem was finding equipment which could operate at the extreme depths and developing a plan for removing the long-term pollution threat, the crude oil cargo.