A week of silence after reports of massive oil spill at GTI Statia raises questions

ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius – BES-Reporter has received information from multiple independent and credible sources indicating that a major oil spill may have occurred at the GTI Statia oil terminal on or around 22 July.

According to two sources familiar with the incident, between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels of crude oil may have spilled onto land during the loading of a tanker after a connection between a loading hose and a storage tank reportedly failed or had not been properly secured. BES-Reporter has not yet been able to independently verify the reported volume or the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

If confirmed, the reported spill would rank among the most significant industrial incidents on St. Eustatius in recent years.

What makes the reports particularly noteworthy is that the alleged incident is said to have occurred almost a week ago, yet neither GTI Statia nor the Public Entity of St. Eustatius has issued any public statement acknowledging or explaining what happened.

The reported incident also appears difficult to reconcile with GTI Statia’s publicly stated commitments. On its website, the company describes safety as its “highest core value” and lists among its operational goals “No Incidents,” “No Accidents,” and “100% Regulatory Compliant Operations.”

It is also unclear whether the incident, if confirmed, was reported to the relevant Dutch supervisory authorities, including the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), which oversees oil storage and transshipment activities in the Caribbean Netherlands.

BES-Reporter is continuing to verify the information and will seek responses from GTI Statia and the island government.