At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Thai Oil issued an official statement confirming that, on June 5 at approximately 11:54 p.m., a crude oil spill occurred at SBM-2 due to unexpected severe weather conditions, including high waves and sudden strong winds.
The company promptly ceased oil transfer operations, following standard safety protocols. The Breakaway Coupling safety mechanism at SBM-2 functioned as designed to prevent structural damage. However, a small volume of oil was released during the valve shutdown phase — an anticipated and contained outcome within the system’s safety design.
Containment booms had already been pre-deployed prior to the oil transfer operation, the company said. Currently, there is no further leakage, and SBM-2 remains undamaged. The surface oil slick was caused by high waves and gusty winds displacing oil beyond the containment booms. No injuries have been reported.
Thai Oil continues cleanup efforts according to its refinery’s emergency action plan and is coordinating with government and private sector partners to fully mitigate the environmental impact, the statement said, adding that further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
