The Thai Navy and scientists were mobilized on Thursday January 27 to contain an oil spill after an underwater pipeline leak spilled tens of thousands of liters of oil into the Gulf of Thailand.
Read alsoPeru declares an “environmental emergency” after the oil spill on its coasts
The leak on the pipeline belonging to Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited (SPRC) began Tuesday evening, off the province of Rayong (east), about twenty kilometers from the coast.
Between 20 and 50 tonnes spilled into the sea (from 20,000 to just over 50,000 litres), the company said.
Weak currents kept the oil away from coastal areas and no impacts were reported on marine life or seafood farming, authorities said.
Koh Samet, a nearby tourist island popular with Bangkok residents and foreign tourists, could be affected, however, the kingdom's pollution control department said.
In 2013, a beach on the small island was damaged when just over 50,000 liters of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Thailand after a PTT Global Chemical pipeline leaked.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KBZLUQ5BWNBNBFOHTOUOOJ3KUI.jpg)
