Tanker NAKHODKA Oil Spill in the Sea of Japan

(Incident, Related Info, Photos and Consequences)

(J): Japanese; (E): English


GoTo (J) Japanese page | (J) Link Page ( on oil spill ) | (E) ERC Home Page

Incident


On Jan 2, 1997, in the sea of Japan (off the Oki Islands of Simane Prefecture), the Russian tanker NAKHODKA with a cargo of about 19,000 kl of heavy oil, en-route from Shanghai, China to Petropavlovsk, Russia, broke up in the stormy weather.
31 crews were rescued from life boats, but the Master was drowned to death.
The stern section of the tanker sank soon after the incident down to the sea bed at a depth of about 2,500 metres with an estimated 12,500 kl of cargo onboard.
The upturned bow section continued to drift and grounded on rocks near the shore of Antou, Mikuni town, Fukui Prefecture within the Echizen-Kaga Coast Quasi National Park.
The incident resulted in an estimated 6,240 kl of oil spill, most of which reached the coasts and damaged the environment and human activities.
  1. Place where NAKHODKA sunk.
  2. Place where the bow section grounded.
  3. Spread of oiled coasts.

Info related to the Oil Spill

Photos

( taken at Antou, Mikuni-town, Fukui-pref on 1997.01.10 by ERC.PREF.FUKUI.JP )

Consequences

  • 97/04/20 The bow section was removed.

  • 97/02/25 Recovering of oil residue from the bow section was completed.

  • 97/02/20 The estimated total of spilled oil was increased to 6,240 kl.

  • 97/02/14 Recovering of oil residue from the bow section started on the causeway.

  • 97/02/10 Recovering of oil from the bow section at sea was almost completed. The construction of the causeway was also completed to the aimed 175 m length.

  • 97/02/08 The total of recovered oil emulsion reached about 30,000 kl in one month since oil spill.

  • 97/01/21 Spilled oil spread to the coasts of Niigata prefecture.

  • 97/01/16 Recovering of the oil from the bow section at sea started.

  • 97/01/15 The estimated total of spilled oil was increased to 5,000 kl.

  • 97/01/14 Construction of a causeway to the bow section started.

  • 97/01/13 Investigation of the bow section for oil recovering started.

  • 97/01/11 Spilled oil spread to the coasts of Shimane prefecture.

  • 97/01/10 Spilled oil spread to the coasts of Tottori prefecture.

  • 97/01/09 Spilled oil spread to the coasts of Ishikawa, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.

  • 97/01/07 Spilled oil and the bow section of the tanker stranded on the coast of Antou, Mikuni town, Fukui prefecture, Japan.

  • 97/01/02 The Russian tanker NAKHODKA (13,157 tons, 32 crew) was ruptured in heavy seas some 106 km NNE of the Oki Islands, Simane prefecture in the Sea of Japan. The stern section sank soon and the upturned bow section is drifting toward the coast of Japan. The tanker with the cargo of 19,000 kl of heavy oil was en-route from Shanghai, China to Petropavlovsk, Russia. About 3,700 kl of oil reportedly spilled out.

ERC.PREF.FUKUI.JP