BANGKOK, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's navy and pollution control authorities are rushing to clear up an oil spill after an undersea pipeline leaked dozens of tons of crude oil some 20 km off the coast of the Gulf of Thailand.
A C-130 aircraft from a company specializing in oil spill recovery joined ships and airplanes, which are working at the site to contain the oil spill leaked on Tuesday night from the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company's mooring station off the coast of the eastern province of Rayong.
The Star Petroleum Refining Public Company estimated that a total of 20-50 tons of crude oil has been leaked. In a statement issued on Wednesday, it said that the oil slick on water had reduced to 5.3 tons after dispersant sprays were deployed.
It may take seven to 10 days for the dispersants to dissolve the oil slick, Attapol Charoenpansa, director general of the Pollution Control Department, was quoted by local media on Thursday as saying. ■