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Betelgeuse

Bantry Bay, Ireland        1979-Jan-08

In the early afternoon of January 8, 1979, the tanker Betelgeuse exploded at the offshore pier of the Gulf Oil Terminal at Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay, Ireland. The tanker broke in two and settled in 130 feet of water with 300,000 barrels of oil remaining onboard. The fire burned throughout the day. During the night the fire was extinguished and the stern section sank completely. Approximately 14,720 barrels of oil leaked from the vessel, 3,680 barrels of which impacted the shoreline. Keyword: Manual removal, suction operations, containment boom, skimmer, BP 1100WD, explosion, fire, sinking, sub-surface oil, salvage, lightering..

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Note: Documents are posted chronologically and early reports likely contain factual errors. These errors may be corrected in a later report.

After-Incident Documents

Summary of Dispersant Use and Incident Summary 1979-Jan-08

Incident Response Documents

USCG Case History 1979-Jan-08
Behavior of Oil 1979-Jan-08
References 1979-Jan-08
Countermeasures/ Mitigation 1979-Jan-08

Incident Details

Products of concern: Mixed Arabian Crude Oil
Amount spilled (approximate): 618,000 gallons

Latitude (approximate): 50° 40.00' North
Longitude (approximate): 12° 4.00' West

Counter measures:
Dispersants: Evaluated and applied
In-Situ Burn: Not applicable
Bioremediation: Not applicable

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides science-based solutions to protect and restore the nation’s natural resources from coastal environmental hazards. OR&R serves the nation by providing expertise and a suite of products and services critical for making science-based response decisions that prevent further harm, restore natural resources, and promote effective planning for future incidents.