Tanker KM Patriot Andalan Spills 5,400 Tons Of Fuel Oil Into Molucca Sea

JAKARTA, July 31 (Reuters) – An oil tanker owned by Indonesia’s state oil and gas company, Pertamina, spilled around 5,400 tonnes of fuel into the Molucca Sea, the domestic media reported on Wednesday.

The KM Patriot Andalan was carrying 7,000 tonnes of fuel from Papua and was anchored at the port of Ternate in eastern Indonesia when high seas caused the tanker to hit the port and eventually sink.

“We are currently trying to contain the oil spill and prevent it from expanding further, while trying to neutralize the oil already spilled into the sea,” Pertamina fuel distribution manager Bagus Handoko, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe newspaper.

Pertamina was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Fergus Jensen; editing by James Jukwey)