Estimates for the amount of oil that spilled earlier this week after the cargo ship, Pacific Adventurer, sustained damage in Cyclone Hamishthe near Brisbane, Australia is now upwards of 200,000 liters. This is substantially more than the 42,000 liters first stated by the ship’s owner, Swire Shipping. Australian authorities have declared several coastal areas near Brisbane disaster zones, with oil blanketing more than 60 kilometers of coast. CNN tells us:
“This is a very serious situation,” Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said, according to a news release on Friday. “It appears the volume of oil involved is much greater than originally reported by the Pacific Adventurer. And the effect of the oil spill is more widespread.”
The Pacific Adventurer sustained damage early Wednesday when Cyclone Hamish struck the waters of eastern Australia with more than 125 kph (77 mph) winds. The cargo ship lost 30 of its 50 containers of ammonium nitrate about 13 kilometers (8 miles) off the coast of Cape Moreton. Those containers are still missing.
Just a few weeks ago, the Pacific Adventurer was involved in a fatal collision with a Chinese patrol boat, killing 17 naval personnel.
The ship is currently in the custody of Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority in Brisbane, as the investigation into the spill continues.
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Updated: February 5, 2026 (Originally published March 13, 2009)
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