79, most of the cleanup of Nova Scotia beaches had been completed although spots of re-oiling still occurred from time to time. Facility Ownership and Product DescriptionThe British Tanker Kurdistan, was owned by the Nile Steamship Ltd. of Newcastle, England and was traveling from the Gulf Oil terminal in Point Tupper, NS, to Sept Iles, Quebec. It was loaded with 29,662 tons of "Bunker C" fuel oil.Bunker "C" fuel oil is a term which has been used for many years to designate the most thick andsticky of the residual fuels. When steamships were coal-fired, "bunkers" was the name for the binsused to hold the coal. As marine diesel engines became prevalent, the term was carried over to include the liquid fuel tanks.Bunker "C" fuel oil is a sticky, black liquid similar in appearance and smell to asphalt sealingcompounds. At 10 C it has a consistency of liquid honey or corn syrup. At 0 C it barely flows.It is currently produced by blending the oil remaining after the refining process with lighter oil.Because it is less dense than water, fresh Bunker "C" fuel oil would float in water either at or below the surface. As the oil ages or "weathers", it becomes heavier, but it would still float under most conditions. If the oil comes into contact with sediment, sand or other shoreline materials, they may heed together forming lumps or tar balls.Oil Release StatisticsThe Kurdistan was loaded with 29,662 tons of Bunker "C" fuel oil when it developed vertical gashes below the waterline in the number 3 wing tanks. These tanks, which had a total capacity of 10,000 tons soon began to leak oil, dispensing 7000 tons of this oil into the turbulent water. In total, over 550 miles of shoreline was cleaned, 997,000 bags and 1,500 barrels of oily debris were collected. Clean up OperationsA group was developed to advise the O.C. (Canadian Coast Guard On Scene Commander) regarding cleanup needs and priorities consisted primarily of EPS (Environmental Protection Se...
