Incident Situation Update : Crude Oil Tanker Bright Artemis

September 01, 2006

Tokyo - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL, President: Akimitsu Ashida) today reported that the company conducted an aerial survey to chase spilt oil on August 31, and received a report from oil spill control and response experts who flew on a chartered airplane. Oil slicks are definitely being diluted and vaporized, and there is little possibility that a large volume of oil will reach neighboring islands.

While vaporization, dissolution, and diffusion of the oil and oily substance can be expected to continue, there still is a slight possibility that oily residue could reach Great Nicobar Island (south of the Nicobar Islands in India) around September 10, if the slicks continue to drift toward east-southeast at their current speed.

Three ocean tugboats loaded with clean-up equipment and materials sailed Singapore on August 31.They are scheduled to reach the site on September 5. They will be requested to take preventive measures or removing oil slicks when necessary, under the Indian Coast Guard's instruction, while keep watching of the said oil slick, its movement and status.

To liaise with the Indian Coast Guard Local Headquarter in Port Blair, a central city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which is also monitoring the area by airplane, and to organize necessary operations under its guidance, MOL dispatched an Indian Superintendent on August 30 from its group ship management company responsible for Bright Artemis.

[Reference] Location of oil slicks acknowledged by aerial survey on August 31
Emulsified oil slicks are dotted within a range of about 10 miles (18.5 kilometers) long and 2 miles (3.7 kilometers) wide toward the southwest. The northeastern edge of the area is at latitude 7 degrees 26 minutes north and longitude 91 degrees 47 minutes east.