Tanker Grounds Near Puerto Rico

Liberian tanker ship Sperchios grounded about 1.5 miles south from the Port of Guayanilla in the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The reasons for the grounding of the vessel are currently under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard, as the primary responder in this case, has been coordinating the initial response to this incident with federal and local authorities and the representatives of the Sperchios. The U.S. Coast Guard has activated a Unified Command Post at the Port of Guayanilla, and together with the agencies responding to this incident, they are developing an operational plan to free the Sperchios from being grounded in the Guayanilla Bay. Sperchios is carrying an estimated amount of 320,000 barrels of crude oil and there is no indication that any type of oil spill has taken place.