On Monday 10 March, an oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, and a cargo ship collided in the North sea off the coast of Hull, sparking fears of an environmental disaster
The collision involved the Stena Immaculate, a US-registered vessel which was transporting fuel for the US military, and the Portuguese-flagged Solong.
According to the BBC, 36 people have been rescued and one has been taken to hospital.
The Stena Immaculate and the Humber Estuary
The Humber estuary is home to many species of marine wildlife meaning the collision could kickstart an ecological disaster.
One of the largest grey seal breeding colonies in England is located at Donna Nook, which is on the south bank of the estuary. Additionally, the estuary provides both breeding and feeding grounds to many species of threatened seabirds, porpoises and minke whales.
Local wildlife trusts have raised concerns over the potential impact of the collision on the local environment.
In recent years, environmental groups have been raising the alarm over the scale of oil spills into the North Sea. This reiterates their point – the fossil fuel industry is polluting UK seas and should have no future.
Jet fuel is lighter than crude oil and therefore evaporates much faster. This means we are unlikely to see birds covered in black oil. However, it still poses a huge risk to marine environments. It can cause explosions and the fumes can be toxic to both humans and animals.
The risk will depend on how much of the jet fuel has actually spilled out into the ocean.
Most tankers are fuelled by marine gas oil – which is much heavier, and far more damaging then jet fuel. It is known to cause respiratory illness and is one component of acid rain – which damages vegetation and wildlife. At this point, it is too early to say whether the collision caused any of this to leak into the ocean.
Fuelling the US military
The Stena Immaculate is a Crowley-managed tanker. Crowley are a:
Worldwide Logistics, Government, Marine and Energy Solutions
Importantly, Crowley supply the U.S. military’s transportation and logistics needs under the Defense Freight Services Program. In July 2024, they announced the US government had awarded them a 7 year contract worth $2.3bn. This is one of the biggest logistics contracts under the federal government.
In a statement on their website, Crowley said:
The Stena Immaculate is managed by Crowley through a joint venture with owner Stena Bulk USA. In 2023, the tanker was selected by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to serve in its Tanker Security Program. While under charter on this voyage for the Military Sealift Command, the tanker was anchored while it awaited berth availability at the Port of Killingholme, where it was due to make a standard delivery of fuel as part of a routine service under this program when it was struck.
At this stage, it is unclear what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident. At the time it was struck, the 183-meter (596-foot) Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. Crowley is supporting the relevant authorities in the UK who are investigating the incident and will defer to them for any further questions on potential cause.
The jet fuel was set to aid the US military. In other words, Crowley were en route to supply a key arm of US imperialism. This means that once again, the US military industrial complex is wrecking the planet, and putting people’s lives at risk.
That the jet fuel never made it to its destination to power the US imperial war-machine is the only silver lining. It’s just a shame it meant polluting the ocean with a cocktail toxic to marine life.
Feature image via NDTV/Youtube
