Co-op Venture 
- Name
- Co-op Venture
- Accident date
- 25/07/2002
- Location
- Japan
- Accident area
- Shibushi Bay, 1.6 km off Osaki
- Spill area
- Inshore
- Cause of spill
- Grounding
- Quantity transported
- 958 m3
- Nature of pollutant
- bunker fuel and corn
- Quantity spilled
- 958 m3
- Ship / structure type
- Cargo vessel
- Built date
- 1990
- Shipyard
- Sasebo Heavy Industries co., ltd., Japon
- Length
- 224 m
- Width
- 18 m
- Flag
- Panamanian
- Owner
- Southern Pacific co., ltd., Etats-Unis
- Manager
- Tshudi and Eitzen Ship Management pte, ltd., Singapour
On 25 July 2002, due to a typhoon the Panamanian cargo vessel Co-op Venture, transporting a cargo of corn, ran aground in Shibushi Bay, 1.6 km off Osaki (Japan). During this accident, the ship sustained a split hull and has been stranded ever since.
The bunker fuel oil dispersion was promoted by rough conditions but a few hours after the grounding, containment devices were set up. Clean-up operations were rapidly planned and they took place on the Japanese coastline from 30 July to 1 August with 550 persons.
Pumping operations were performed effectively from 4 to 15 August and 70 % of the bunker fuel was recovered. Hydrogen sulphide emanations resulting from the corn decomposition caused the death of 4 people. Until 27 December, the remains of the Co-op Venture were salvaged with a crane ship.
Sources:
- MAMACA E., GIRIN M., LE FLOCH S. and EL ZIR R., 2009, Are HNS spills more dangerous than oil spills? A white paper for the Interspill 2009 Conference and the 4th IMO R&D Forum, Marseille, France, May 2009, p. 60
- OMI, 2005, Casualty statistics and investigations - Very serious and serious casualties for the year 2002
- Japan Coast Guard, 2003, Co-op Venture incident and its response
External links
CIIMAR database: fate and weathering of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) involved