Oil spill off Hurghada

[Alan Cockayne]

Workers remove oil-related materials on Red Sea Shores, Hurghada, Egypt, June 20, 2010. Oil spots were first discovered Friday on the beaches of Hurghada, extending about 20 kilometers. Egyptian environmental authorities say the source of the oil leak remains unknown, though some people suspect the oil may have come from a vessel transporting oil products by sea.

Further updates later.

Alan. Coralife-Style Consultants.

 

[SHARM-SERVICES]

Are there any reports of damage to fish, corals or other sea life?

Let's hope it gets cleaned up quickly with minimal damage and that the source is found to potentially prevent such incidents again.

SHARM SERVICES

 

[Alan Cockayne]

Location of spill

Are there any reports of damage to fish, corals or other sea life?

Let's hope it gets cleaned up quickly with minimal damage and that the source is found to potentially prevent such incidents again.

SHARM SERVICES

I think it may have happened North of El Gouna but reports are sketchy.
What is important, not only to find the culprit but how it's managed. The Ministry is watching the events closely. I suppose the locals will let the press know in any case.

However, I've been working in Sharm when a similar marine incident occurred. A cargo ship grounded on the reefs in Tiran Straits spilling fuel oil and dispersants were used. These may have harm marine life as they were untried at the time. If enough man-power is organised to skim it, I'm sure it will be controlled.

If it is an oil rig, then we conservationists fear more accidents will happen and cover-ups will be inevitable with this organisation. Stupid really as Egypt depends on tourism more than the oil it can supply.

Alan. Coralife-Style Consultants.

 

[El Gouna Property]

I think it may have happened North of El Gouna but reports are sketchy.
What is important, not only to find the culprit but how it's managed. The Ministry is watching the events closely. I suppose the locals will let the press know in any case.

However, I've been working in Sharm when a similar marine incident occurred. A cargo ship grounded on the reefs in Tiran Straits spilling fuel oil and dispersants were used. These may have harm marine life as they were untried at the time. If enough man-power is organised to skim it, I'm sure it will be controlled.

If it is an oil rig, then we conservationists fear more accidents will happen and cover-ups will be inevitable with this organisation. Stupid really as Egypt depends on tourism more than the oil it can supply.

Alan. Coralife-Style Consultants.

Its big shame we heared one of corals 60kh from El Gouna was severly damaged because of it an the workers still trying to fight the oil in water :tomato:

 

[Alan Cockayne]

Ministry report

Its big shame we heared one of corals 60kh from El Gouna was severly damaged because of it an the workers still trying to fight the oil in water :tomato:

The Egyptian Oil Ministry said crude oil that washed ashore at a major Red Sea beach resort area was leaked by a passing tanker or may have seeped from the ground due to a heat wave, but was not from any of its rigs.
A report, issued today, said that all offshore oil platforms in the Red Sea are “sound,” according to the state-run Middle East News Agency. Oil from the rigs was compared with samples from the sea but the investigators “cannot say for sure” whether the samples matched.

Egypt has been developing its eastern coastline to encourage tourism, which is the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner. The Red Sea and nearby Gulf of Suez is also Egypt’s main oil-producing area, with more than 180 offshore rigs operating there, according to the ministry.

Egypt’s Oil Ministry said on June 22 that by reducing the number of oil rigs in the Gulf of Suez it might be able to monitor those that remain more effectively. Oil Minister Sameh Fahmy has called for the establishment of a fund to fight pollution, the ministry said.

We all thought Egypt had funding and an effective solution for fighting pollution.
Tourism paid for it.... Now tourism may be effected by the lack of initiative taken by Egypt's newest Civil Servants who clearly are taking their eye off the ball.

Nature does not excuse incompetence.

Alan. Coralife-Style Consultants.

 

[Georgina]

HEPCA Update

HEPCA News Flash

Oil Spill Up23/6/2010!

The community of the Red Sea has once again stood up to protect our
environment, livelihood and health. The valiant efforts of fishermen,
dive operators, hotels and the local government to control the spill
must be commended. The governorate has committed all its resources in
manual cleanups at nearly all affected beaches in cooperation with the
local community. The cleanup efforts over the past five days have been
outstanding, over 90% of the impacted beaches on the mainland have
been entirely cleaned, and work is still ongoing. Dive operators have
expressed their relief that there is no apparent damage to any dive
sites; and that business is back to normal.

The Northern Islands protected area is the most heavily impacted
region. These islands are one of the few pristine areas in the
northern Egyptian Red Sea, and are of high ecological value as they
host a number of key habitats, including mangroves, sea grass beds,
protected bird nesting grounds, turtle nesting grounds and an
extensive reef system.

The spill was from an oil rig approximately fifty nautical miles north
of Hurghada that began to leak on Wednesday the 16th of June; the leak
has been sealed.

We are still fervently awaiting the Nature Conservation Sector‚s
assessment of the damages at as well as a statement declaring the
identity of the rig that is visibly spewing out the oil!

The damage to Egypt's natural resources is a crime that must not go
unpunished; and the complicity of any party with such a crime must be
revealed and condemned. This incident clearly reveals that the oil
concessions of the Ministry must be reconsidered especially any
concessions near key habitats, protected areas and tourism hot spots.

We must continue to push as a community for the protection of our
natural environment we must take a collective stand and clearly state
that we shall not allow corruption and greed to destroy our ecosystem,
livelihood and health.

Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA)
Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Road, Hurghada
Red Sea ˆ Egypt

Postal address:
Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association
PO Box 104, Hurghada, Red Sea Tel: +20 65 344 5035
Fax: +20 65 344 6674
Email: [email protected]

 

[Peter Mitry]

Oil on Hurghada Beaches?

The Egyptian Oil Ministry said crude oil that washed ashore at a major Red Sea beach resort area was leaked by a passing tanker or may have seeped from the ground due to a heat wave, but was not from any of its rigs.
A report, issued today, said that all offshore oil platforms in the Red Sea are “sound,” according to the state-run Middle East News Agency. Oil from the rigs was compared with samples from the sea but the investigators “cannot say for sure” whether the samples matched.

Egypt has been developing its eastern coastline to encourage tourism, which is the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner. The Red Sea and nearby Gulf of Suez is also Egypt’s main oil-producing area, with more than 180 offshore rigs operating there, according to the ministry.

Egypt’s Oil Ministry said on June 22 that by reducing the number of oil rigs in the Gulf of Suez it might be able to monitor those that remain more effectively. Oil Minister Sameh Fahmy has called for the establishment of a fund to fight pollution, the ministry said.

We all thought Egypt had funding and an effective solution for fighting pollution.
Tourism paid for it.... Now tourism may be effected by the lack of initiative taken by Egypt's newest Civil Servants who clearly are taking their eye off the ball.

Nature does not excuse incompetence.

Alan. Coralife-Style Consultants.

I spend my life visiting coastal sites along Hurghada's coastline and have never seen any evidence of this reported oil spill; even diving on Tuesday off Sahl Hasheesh, absolutely no sign of oil anywhere.

 

[jojo2005]

Credit where credit is due. The oil was definately on the beaches around the 20th June and a big effort was being made to clean it up. Reports from Hurghada this week are that it is virtually all clear on the beaches now.

 

[Peter Mitry]

I absolutely agree; most people here would not have known about it except for the International Press so whoever cleaned it up so quickly deserves a medal!

 

[john'n'kate]

A couple of bigish patches of crude oil about 2-3sq M on the pebled beach over the road from Mubarak 7 during the week of20th June to 25th June, also frequent small globules in the sea which stick to you when you swim. Didn't see them at first but we came out of the water as soon as we saw them. The smell of the patches was quite overpowering.

 

[britishegyptian]

Hopefully BP are not to blame