PHUKET, Sept 5 - A Third Naval Area Command reconnaissance has found no additional oil spill from boat which sank yesterday off Phuket, but dispatched a naval vessel to help clean up oil spill which leaked from from the sunken ship.

Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Nawin Thananate said that the sunken ship, the Choke Thaworn 6, was modified with a license registered legally. The ship, containing about four fuel tanks with a capacity of about 35,000-40,000 litres, sank about 10 metres beneath the surface.

He said the third Naval Area Command sent a ship to help the cleanup with about 4,000 litres of chemicals provided by energy corporation PTT and the navy.

Officials from agencies concerned including the Marine Police and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources inspected the site where the ship sank and collected water samples for laboratory tests.

The latest survey on Sunday found oil spill decreased to a level of one fifth or 20 per cent of the amount of oil spill when the accident occurred. It spread around the area where the ship sank, but did not spill additionally from the ship’s tanks.

Oil spill is thought to be only from ship’s own engine supply and not from its cargo, which is a much larger amount. The resulting slick moved only one mile per hour, so it is not worrying as the amount of oil will disperse.

It is unlikely that that will be an additional oil spill, he said.

The Choke Thaworn 6 capsized and sank Saturday about 10 nautical miles from Phuket town during a fierce storm. (MCOT online news)