Construction began on December 1 on a complex to prevent oil spills for Van Phong Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa and nearby sea areas.

The complex, which covers more than 3.4ha in Ninh Hai commune, Ninh Hoa district, is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.

Van Phong Bay is an economic and commercial zone and a place for international container transportation. In recent years, the bay has received about 10 large oil tankers a year, each weighing about 100,000 tonnes.

In order to prevent possible oil spills, the Government decided to carry out the project with an initial investment capital of US$5.3 million.