ANCHORAGE, AK – May 9, 2001 – Wednesday afternoon divers found two small cracks in the side of Number 3 Starboard Cargo tank on the SeaRiver North Slope. Tanker personnel had found a light sheen along side the vessel on Tuesday while the ship was loading at the Valdez Marine Terminal. Loading operations were stopped and divers were called in from Anchorage to investigate the sheen. Divers arrived late Tuesday but did not find anything during the night. Divers resumed operations Wednesday morning and found two hairline cracks in the side plating of Number 3 Starboard Cargo tank about 8 feet below the waterline.

SeaRiver and United States Coast Guard are working on a revised loading plan to prevent the potential for any additional release of oil and to enable the ship to sail. The ship will be repaired before it returns to Valdez.

The sheen has been contained within the boom around the ship and the Alyeska Oil Spill Response Team used sorbent pads to recover the small amount of surfacing oil. The rate of release has remained relatively constant at one drop of oil surfacing every ten minutes. Estimated spill volume remains at less than a cup.

Alyeska Ship Escort and Response Vessel System (SERVS) personnel and equipment will remain on-scene until all of the sheen is cleaned up and the risk of further release is eliminated. The United States Coast Guard and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation remain on the scene.

Updates will be provided as information becomes available.

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