Incident with the Crude Oil Tanker - BRIGHT ARTEMIS No.2

August 17, 2006

Tokyo - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL, President: Akimitsu Ashida) reports that the MOL-owned crude oil tanker "Bright Artemis," which suffered a gash on her hull (above the water) during a rescue operation of a distressed vessel, is now proceeding toward the sea off the shore of Penang.
On the day of the incident, August 14, crude oil was leaked to the site (on the high seas between Sri Lanka/Sumatran) from the damaged part of the Bright Artemis and its volume is estimated to about 4,500 tons or less. However, there have been no further spillages.

MOL sent 6 oil spill control and response experts to the site on August 16 to examine the status of the oil spillage. According to radio communications with our marine experts on the charter plane^* that transported the six experts; there were some oil patches of a few square meters found at the site, but a broad oil sheen was not observed. MOL received an opinion from the oil spill control and response experts on the plane - they recommend not to use treatments such as spreading dispersant at the area under the current status of the spill. Also, captains of two oil tankers and one pure car carrier, all owned by MOL, informed MOL that they did not observe any oil sheen in the area of the incident when they sailed through the area.

There is a high possibility that the crude oil that was spilled in the area of the incident is evaporating quickly. In addition to the fact that crude oil is light-sulfur and has high volatility, sea water's high temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and strong winds and high waves in the monsoon season may become factors which allow for the quick evaporation of the oil.
MOL is going to keep the surveillance of the site.

* The chartered plane left Singapore on August 16 at 7:10 a.m. (JST) and observed the sea area between 06 degrees 30 minutes north (latitude), 90 degrees 00 minutes east (longitude) and 05 degrees 40 minutes north (latitude), 88 degrees 50 minutes east (longitude), which include the area of the incident by flying in zigzags for 2 hours from 12:00 to 14:00 at an altitude of 50 meters.