Lebanon conflict 
- Name
- Lebanon conflict
- Accident date
- 13/07/2006
- Location
- Mediterranean
- Accident area
- Southern Lebanon
- Spill area
- Inshore
- Cause of spill
- Act of war
- Quantity transported
- 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes
- Nature of pollutant
- Intermediate fuel oil (IFO 150)
- Ship / structure type
- Storage tank
From 13 to 15 July 2006, bombings in southern Lebanon hit the Jieh electric power plant (30 km south of Beirut). Part of the heavy fuel oil burned. According to the Lebanese authorities' estimations, 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of unburned fuel oil were spilled onto the shoreline and drifted at sea, pushed by south-westerly winds. The pollution soon extended to impact almost half of the 200 km of Lebanese coastline. Several types of substrates were affected: sand, stones, rocks, port facilities...
The product spilled appeared to be an IFO 150 (Intermediate Fuel Oil with a viscosity of 150 cSt at 50°C).
Characteristics | |
|---|---|
Density at 15°C | 0.9385 |
Cinematic viscosity at 50°C (cSt) | 140 |
Flash point in °C | > 110 |
Pour point in °C | 6 |
Sulphur (% mass) | 1 |
Asphaltenes (% mass) | 2.8 |
Vanadium V (ppm) | 22 |
External links
REMPEC, Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea
UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme - environment for development
Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean
MOE website about 2006 oil spill
Greenpeace, Defending our Mediterranean
US AID, Information on the American contribution with photos
IMO, International Maritime Organization
NOAA database (IncidentNews)