VIDEO: Cyclone Pam moves Rena wreck

New sonar surveys have confirmed that the wreck of the Rena has shifted further down the Astrolabe Reef and is breaking up.

A multibeam survey carried out by ADUS DeepOcean surveyors between the 18th and 23rd of March has confirmed further deterioration of the wreck.


Video shot by NZDS divers of the areas they will be working in. Source: Rena Project website.

Cyclone Pam passed east of East Cape in mid-March, bringing huge seas to the reef. The latest released image is a composite showing the wreck in three colours (see below) - blue as it was in 2012, red for March 2014 and grey for post Pam in March 2015.

This sequence demonstrates how the aft section, as previously forecast by naval architects appointed by the insurers, is expected to continue deteriorating and move into deeper water over time.

The latest ADUS survey also identified some movement of the bow pieces, which divers have since inspected. Located debris that was previously trapped is now being recovered.

Before Cyclone Pam, divers recovered nearly a tonne of oil trapped within the now substantially degraded engine room.

Resolve Salvage & Fire conducted multiple deep penetration dives into the wreckage at depths between 35 and 48 metres.

The oil recovery operation was in response to intermittent oil sheens seen on the surface during debris clearance operations.

Once divers found the source of the oil sheens, the pockets of oil that could safely be recovered were dealt with.

Wellington-based New Zealand Diving & Salvage are continuing recovery work at the reef and have scaled up its team of divers as well as recovering over 43.3 tonnes of debris.

Over the coming months, NZDS will continue removing any remaining diver entanglements and recovering inorganic materials and aluminium ingots to a depth of 30m.

NZDS will also have to deal with any further oil leaks from the wreck.

Should any further oil sheens occur, NZDS would also be resourced to undertake further investigations, and if safe, to remove the oil at its source.

They will also continue removing any recoverable deposits of copper using specialist underwater suction equipment procured by the owner and insurer.

The team includes divers with substantial experience working on the Rena in previous contract roles.

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8 comments

Movement

Posted on 23-04-2015 12:17 | By DAD

The moving of the Rena in each storm must be doing damage to the reef! Take it all away before the large amount of oil still remaining in the wreck is released!


AND again RENA

Posted on 23-04-2015 13:42 | By Me again

Pass the buck is all we will see here. Take long enough and it will go further then they won"t have to deal with it and so the marine life will be gone too. Brilliant!!!


GET RID!

Posted on 23-04-2015 15:08 | By Mackka

The owners insurance should cover the cost of employing a firm capable of removing the wreck in its entirety. THEY DO EXIST!


What about

Posted on 23-04-2015 19:35 | By GreertonBoy

the thousands of other shipwrecks in the oceans? Should whoever owned them remove them too? What about the marine creatures that now call the wreck home? Many will be injured or killed if humans fiddle with the wreck any more. My opinion is as long as the pollutants are removed as best as possible, that is good. If people demand it ALL gone and never another shipwreck again, then we should stop importing or exporting anything at all, that is the only way there will never be another shipwreck.... if there are no ships. While we transport all this cargo around the world, there is a risk that a ships driver might bin it, or nature might smite it.... get over it. People forcing insurers to remove all traces will only cause premiums to rise in future....pollutants gone....all will be good


Mr Ken

Posted on 24-04-2015 08:15 | By pamken

the fish look at home on the reef same as all other reefs that ships have hit leave alone nature will do her bit stop trying to make this more than it is


Once again

Posted on 24-04-2015 09:09 | By How about this view!

The hysterics about a single shipwreck. Grow-up New Zealand! Look globally and think of the BILLIONS of tonnes of shipping lost to the sea in the past. I can vividly remember the Exxon Valdiz at Prince William sound, Alaska, and guess what, The fishing fleets are back at work and the tourists are streaming in to view the beautiful pristine environment. Millions of tonnes of shipping lost in the English Channel and the beaches of the South Coast are shoulder to shoulder with holiday makers. This isn't a story any more, it is just a drum to be beaten for political or FINANCIAL gain by minority groups once again.


FISH EVERYWHERE

Posted on 24-04-2015 11:23 | By Bop man

Hey Shouldn't all those fish be dead as every comment I have read says that the area is so polluted. Guess some of the arm chair commentators don't know what they are talking abut.


.

Posted on 28-04-2015 14:44 | By maccachic

Can't wait till we can dive here fish life looks to be regenerating.


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