The Panama Canal Authority completed cleanup operations after an oil spill involving the MSC Kataya R. during its transit through the Miraflores Locks near Balboa. According to the report, the incident occurred on May 26, 2024, while the vessel was en route to Ecuador, prompting the temporary suspension of operations in one lock lane as response teams moved quickly to contain and recover the spilled oil.

The spill was confined to a single lock chamber, allowing crews to focus the cleanup effort within a controlled area. The MSC Kataya R., a 63,259-dwt containership with a capacity of about 4,100 TEU, remained in the lock chamber while response teams carried out washing, recovery, and inspection work. No official cause for the discharge was provided in the report.

By May 29, 2024, the vessel had been moved to the Panama Anchorage, and the Canal reported that the Miraflores operations center was reopening. The incident caused only a temporary disruption as the Canal was simultaneously working to restore transit capacity after months of operational restrictions linked to drought conditions.

The report also noted that improving water levels in the Canal’s main reservoirs were helping authorities move toward a recovery in daily transit volumes. With increased rainfall and stronger water inflows, the Canal expected to return to 32 daily transits by June 1, while also planning to gradually increase draft levels to ease passage for more vessels.