MV Pacific Adventurer
Encyclopedia
Pacific Mariner formerly, MV Pacific Adventurer is a 1123 TEU
geared multi-purpose container ship
that gained notoriety after causing Queensland's largest oil spill
on the east coast of Australia in March 2009. The ship is owned by Swire Shipping
and registered in Hong Kong
. She has also sailed under the names, Pacific Challenger, and Changsa.
to the Port of Brisbane
. During rough seas created by Cyclone Hamish
230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers (620 tonnes) of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea
, off the coast from Cape Moreton
. 100,000 litres of oil washed up on the coasts of Queensland resulting in the area being declared a disaster zone by Premier Anna Bligh
.
The leak was contained before reaching Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane
, the nearest port. The ship then leaked oil while docked in the Brisbane River
which caused another 500 m long oil slick.
After the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
inspected the ship and declared her seaworthy it left Brisbane in April 2009 with a new captain at the helm. In August 2009 the ships owners agreed to pay $25 million compensation. Totals costs for cleaning up after the spill reached $34 million.
TEU
TEU may refer to:* Twenty-foot equivalent unit, a measure used for capacity in container transportation* Treaty on European Union, formal name of the Maastricht Treaty on the creation of the euro...
geared multi-purpose container ship
Container ship
Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
that gained notoriety after causing Queensland's largest oil spill
2009 southeast Queensland oil spill
The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred on 11 March 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia, in which 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish after...
on the east coast of Australia in March 2009. The ship is owned by Swire Shipping
Swire Group
The Swire Group is a transnational corporation headquartered in the Swire House in the City of Westminster, London, England. It controls a range of wholly owned businesses, including deep-sea shipping, cold storage, road transport, and agricultural activities. The current chairman is James...
and registered in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. She has also sailed under the names, Pacific Challenger, and Changsa.
Coral Sea oil spill
As MV Pacific Adventurer, the vessel was sailing from NewscastleNewcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
to the Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port of Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. It is located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River on reclaimed land that was once called Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the river. It currently is the third busiest port in Australia and the nation's...
. During rough seas created by Cyclone Hamish
Cyclone Hamish (2009)
Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish was the first Category 5 cyclone within the Australian region since Cyclone George in 2007. The seventeenth tropical low and eight named storm of the 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season, Hamish developed out of an area of low pressure on 4 March near the Cape...
230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers (620 tonnes) of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
, off the coast from Cape Moreton
Cape Moreton
Cape Moreton is a rocky headland located at the north eastern tip of Moreton Island in South East Queensland, Australia. The surrounding area is part of the Moreton Island National Park. 5 km north-west of Cape Moreton is Flinders Reef....
. 100,000 litres of oil washed up on the coasts of Queensland resulting in the area being declared a disaster zone by Premier Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...
.
The leak was contained before reaching Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the nearest port. The ship then leaked oil while docked in the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
which caused another 500 m long oil slick.
After the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
inspected the ship and declared her seaworthy it left Brisbane in April 2009 with a new captain at the helm. In August 2009 the ships owners agreed to pay $25 million compensation. Totals costs for cleaning up after the spill reached $34 million.