Air Guard monitoring oil slick in Tobago

THE Air Guard is assisting in monitoring the oil slicks at sea caused by the overturned barge – the Gulfstream – which has been lodged on a reef near Cove, Tobago. In a media release on March 5, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries said it has been co-ordinating with the Air Guard, under the command of Lt Groome, to conduct regular overflights.

Overflights are being conducted with trained aerial observers from QT Environmental and T&T Salvage, who have been engaged by the Ministry of Energy to aid in the ongoing on-water oil recovery, survey, and plans to conduct cargo lightering and wreck removal.

On March 4, Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart said divers have confirmed that no more hydrocarbons are leaking from the vessel. The oil slick has reached other countries such as Grenada and Bonaire.

The Air Guard is supporting with one of their fixed wing aircrafts, a Fairchild C-26B outfitted with an EO/IR FLIR system, which allows for aerial observers to confirm oil on water and to provide overflight insights to the on-water recovery of oil. The fixed wing aircraft allows for faster reconnaissance at an altitude as low as 500 feet.

Stewart also said the NOFI current buster (a high-speed oil containment and recovery system) is currently being employed and is assisting in the clean-up.

He said the extraction of any remaining liquids trapped in the vessel is the next step.

“They would have done a hydrographic survey of the area. They would have engaged architects that would allow you to understand the construct of that type of vessel. For those who may know what the vessel looks like, they are able to look at the chambers, as to how they are constructed, and determine whether or not there is additional cells in the vessel that oils can be extracted from."