Oil recovery operation in the North Sea involving the oil tanker Katina 7-13 June 1982

On Monday 7 June 1982 the tanker Katina collided with the ore carrier Pengall and lost an estimated 1,100m3 of heavy fuel oil within two hours. This report details of various aspects of the collision and the oil recovery operations at sea are discussed. The report initiated a large-scale oil recovery operation in the North Sea off the Netherlands, in which two large trailing hopper dredger/ oil recovery vessels, the Cosmos and the Hein, were used for the first time, with success. The government oil recovery vessel, the m. v. Smal Agt, was also put into action. Support vessels were contracted from salvage companies to assist in the use of an oil boom and other equipment including a destroil skimmer. The action was controlled from the air by the reconnaissance aircraft PH-RWS.