By U.S. News Agency / Asian

The Philippine Coast Guard said the oil spill on Pagudpud Bay is now under control after the new salvor of the North Korean vessel completed siphoning the remaining oil in its tank.

Capt. George Ursabia, Jr., PCG District Commander in North Luzon, said no new leakage was observed the previous days after ship salvor Harbor Star completed siphoning the remaining oil on board the MV Nam Yang 8.

“There is no more oil spill and the shoreline is clean,” he said.

Ursabia noted that what remained in the vessel’s tank was hardened oil deposits that can be cleaned by manually scooping the residue.

He said it may take another seven days to complete scraping the oil deposit of some 2,000 liters in two separate tanks.

He said Harbor Star’s methods in cleaning up the tanks were swift and systematic.

The ship’s previous salvor Royal Jessan finished its contract with the PCG early this month.

Ursabia said removal of the wreckage will only begin sometime in March next year due to rough sea weather conditions.

Rough waters normally prevail on Pagudpud Bay during the last quarter of the year until March of next year.

Ursabia said once sea conditions normalize, it would be safer for the salvor to pull out the vessel from the shore.

The vessel was carrying a shipment of 3,000 metric tons of magnetite ore or black sand extracted from Cagayan when it sailed through rough waters in Pagudpud in early January. It later ran aground after developing engine trouble.

The vessel no longer contains any cargo because all the magnetite ore have been gradually washed out each time the holes were hit by big waves.

The Coast Guard said the vessel was carrying 160,000 liters of bunker oil its main tank