A Danish-registered product tanker clipped the breakwater while arriving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan earlier this week. The vessel took a severe list before authorities cleared it to dock and begin an emergency unloading.
The 74,999 dwt Torm Emilie was entering the port of Kaohsiung when it apparently misjudged the harbor entrance. It hit the southern breakwater on February 1. The tanker, that was built in 2004, reportedly breached the hull in its ballast tanks. This, while not causing an oil leak, took on a list reported to be as much as 14 degrees.
Inbound from Kuwait and the UAE after a stop in Singapore, the 748-foot tanker was carrying a load of an oil derivative product known as naphtha. Authorities reported that there was no danger of an oil leak but they made immediate arrangements for the vessel to come alongside at the Intercontinental Wharf. An oil boom was strung around the vessel while they began pumping both the product and the water. Later reports indicated that they were able to bring the vessel back to a 9 degree list. It was expected to take at least two days to unload the tanker before repairs could begin on its hull.
