Corals off eastern Thailand threatened by oil spill

Some 20-50 tons of oil are estimated to have leaked Tuesday night in the Gulf of Thailand from an undersea hose used to load tankers at an offshore mooring point owned by the Star Petroleum Refining Co.

Vessels clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) off Thailand's eastern coast at Prao Beach in Koh Samet island, Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 31, 2022.

The governor of a province in eastern Thailand on Saturday declared a state of emergency after an oil slick washed up on a sand beach, shutting down restaurants and shops in a setback for the pandemic-hit tourism industry.

Workers clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 kilometers off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A worker cleans oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Workers clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km (12.4 miles) off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A worker cleans oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Workers clean oil spill caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Workers clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A worker cleans oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Workers clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A worker cleans oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Workers clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A general view of oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

A general view of oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

A general view of an oil spill caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

Vessels wait to clean oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

Workers carry out a cleanup operation on Mae Ramphueng Beach after a pipeline oil spill off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

Workers carry out a cleanup operation on Mae Ramphueng Beach after a pipeline oil spill off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

A beach is seen after oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.

A person is pictured at Mae Ramphueng beach following oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

Workers scrubbing oil off rocks on Mae Ramphueng Beach after a pipeline oil spill off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

Workers scrubbing oil off rocks on Mae Ramphueng Beach after a pipeline oil spill off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

Workers carry oil spill booms in the hope to block oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

People work in the hope to block oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

Workers clean themselves down after scrubbing oil off rocks on Mae Ramphueng Beach after a pipeline oil spill off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, Jan. 30, 2022.

A boat is seen following oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Prao Beach in Koh Samet island, Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 31, 2022.

Workers install equipment in the hope to block oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

Thai Navy in personal protective equipment (PPE) use special paper to clean oil spill caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

Workers gather near an oil spill boom in the hope to block oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

A machine is seen following oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Prao Beach in Koh Samet island, Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 31, 2022.

Oil slick on a plastic bottle caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast on Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2022.

A beach is seen after oil spills caused by a leak from an undersea pipeline 20 km off Thailand's eastern coast at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2022.