[Leanan]

If it keeps getting warmer, I guess loose icebergs are going to be more of a problem up there.

[clv101]

Some data for comparison:
Exxon Valdez capacity: 1.48 million barrels
Load when crashed: 1.26 million barrels
Oil spilled: 0.71 million barrels (57% of load)

This ship, the Seabulk Pride has a capacity of 342,000 barrels and is reported to be carrying "more than 100,000 barrels of different oil products".

[strider3700]

No details yet just a breaking news report that a tanker has exploded off the coast of Manilla. If it's terrorist related $80 isn't far away. details

[skiwi]

Oil tanker explodes off Philippines coastline

MANILA - The Philippine coastguard said today an oil tanker had exploded off the coast of Bataan province, west of Manila. George de Jesus, a member of the Philippine coastguard, said rescue operations were underway.
Radio reports said two crew members were critically injured. There were no immediate reports of fatalities or the cause of the explosion. The Philippines' largest oil refiner, Petron Corp, has a 180,000 barrels per day oil refinery at Limay on the southern tip of Bataan. No one from the company was immediately available for comment.
The Philippine Department of Energy was checking reports of the explosion.

[Novus]

We could see $80 oil tommorrow.

[Specop_007]

How the hell does a tanker explode?? When was the last time THAT happened?

[Novus]

Maybe it was LNG not oil. News people don't know the difference.

[Jester]

Apparently it was not loaded yet. It was waiting to get loaded: Reuters

[lotrfan55345]

My aunt works as an oil trader for that company, Petron. I don't think they have LNG tankers.

[jaws]

How the hell does a tanker explode?? When was the last time THAT happened?

With some outside help I presume.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

Why attack an unloaded oil tanker? Most likely a shiphand was smoking in an area were they weren't ment to.

[Free]

Talk about good timing...

Any experts here to tell us how likely it is that this happens accidentally?

Edit: Vessel still afloat, and it definitely looks like an accident, so no big deal, and no 80$...

[oneoblivion]

The explosion apparently occured when crew members were welding according to this one: link

[Zardoz]

How the hell does a tanker explode?? When was the last time THAT happened?

Well, in 1976 we lived about five miles from this little pop in Los Angeles harbor. It blew the windows out of thousands of homes:

The Sansinena Explosion

The Blast Zone

[Cobra_Strike]

I was going to jump for joy if there was an attack...the more the better. Oh well, the day is young

[Tanada]

Talk about good timing... Any experts here to tell us how likely it is that this happens accidentally?
Edit: Vessel still afloat, and it definitely looks like an accident, so no big deal, and no 80$...

On the contrary, the tanker fleet world wide is fully booked, taking even one out of commision for extensive repairs can bump things around quite a bit.

[americandream]

Who knows....there lotsa nutjobs out there..either waiting to cause mayhem (cos gods with them) or waiting for mayhem to be caused (cos they're bored). Lol...crazy.

[skeptic]

How the hell does a tanker explode?? When was the last time THAT happened?

It shouldn't these days. It used to. The reason could be an empty tank full of petroleum vapour due to inadequate ventillation plus a spark. Static electricity will do.
Or maybe somebody with inclinations towards blowing things up had seen the film 'Syriana' . It might have happened before. link

[lorenzo]

This is a non-event. It's a tiny empty vessel (capacity 14,000 barrels). Not even a micro-oiltanker.

[seahorse2]

As most everyone here has seen, Saudi Arabia is saying its reducing its oil production bc there is a glut of crude in inventories and there is about 300k barrels now on ships.

Here's the statement:

350,000 barrels of heavy crude oil have been lifted from the ground but cannot be sold because the world lacks the refining capacity to turn it into useful fuels like gasoline or diesel.


He later confirmed most of that is already loaded onto tankers, just waiting for sales contracts.

Here are my questions:

(1) How much oil does an average tanker hold?
(2) Can it be confirmed that there are tankers loaded but no place to go? This doesn't make sense to me. At one time, not so long ago, they said there was a tanker shortage and tanker rates were increasing due to high demand. So, based on these previous statements, I find it hard to believe a tanker would be sitting there without a contract and not prebooked for delivery.

Refinery issues