Experts: Effects of SANCHI Leaking Gas Condensate
Site of accident. 0820 Jan 9 by MOT
The Panama flag 164,000-dwt tanker “SANCHI” (built 2008) carrying 136,000 metric-ton condensate collided with Hongkong flag 76,000-dwt bulker “CF CRYSTAL” (built 2011) carrying 64,000-ton cereal on Beijing time 20:00 Jan 6, 2018 from 160 miles east off China Yangtze Estuary according to MOT.
After the accident, media expressed concern about whether the accident would have a serious impact on the marine ecological environment in the East China Sea. In response, Zhao Ruxiang, a senior engineer at the Yantai Oil Spill Response Technical Center of China MSA, pointed out the characteristics of gas condensate and the effects of its leakage into the sea.
Gas condensate is a low-density mixture of hydrocarbon liquids that are present as gaseous components in the raw natural gas produced from many natural gas fields.The natural gas condensate is also called condensate, or gas condensate, or sometimes natural gasoline.
In general, gas condensate has a specific gravity ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, and is composed of hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, pentane, hexane, etc. Additionally, condensate may contain additional impurities such as Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and Thiols traditionally also called mercaptans (denoted as RSH). So it will cause pollution to atmosphere after volatilize. Through inhalation, skin invasion, the toxic smoke from burning and decomposition will harm to the human body.
Condensate is typically liquid in ambient conditions and also has very low viscosity with high volatility. The higher the temperature the more easily to be volatilized, so the condensate into the water will quickly evaporate and the residual on the water are rare, but easily to cause explosion accidents.
According to Yantai Oil Spill Response Technology Center simulation, 5 hours later after condensate leakage, the remaining oil content are less than 1% on the sea.
Sources from Ministry of Transport said at present they did not find large area of oil spills on the sea.
Sources: Xinde Marine News
Editor: Carrie Zhu
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