The Bataan oil spill is forecasted to reach the shoreline of Lian, Batangas on Thursday, August 1, according to the data released by the University of the Philippines (UP) Marine Science Institute (MSI).
However, the projection of oil reaching Maragondon, Cavite, and Lian and Calatagan, Batangas are low confidence only.
On Wednesday, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) released its oil spill extent map in Manila Bay for July 28 and 30. The information was extracted from the Sentinel-1 satellite images retrieved from the Disasters Charter.
Meanwhile, the UP MSI’s trajectory model forecast suggests that oil is projected to landfall at these given times in Batangas:
- August 1, at 6:07 PM
Lian (Luyahan), Batangas
- August 2, at 8:52 AM
Calatagan (Quilitisan), Batangas
The UP MSI also noted that the models have some levels of uncertainty due to assumptions and limitations, and therefore must be used with caution. Information on the slick is generated to inform the public on the oil's possibility of being transported to other areas.
“The models don’t take into consideration efforts on the ground to clean up and remove the oil, and just projects where oil might go from the starting position captured by the satellite image,” UP MSI added.
The oil spill began when the MT Terranova capsized 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Bataan.
Since its sinking, various areas have been affected by the slick, including Cavite and Bulacan.
