Maritime New Zealand's trajectory modelling of oil leaked into the sea from the container ship stranded on the Astrolabe Reef shows Mayor Island is at risk.
MNZ national on scene commander Rob Service says the oil, which leaked from the ship on Saturday, is heading north and may wash up on the Coromandel.
Conditions aboard Rena are treacherous with oily surfaces below and crushed containers overhead. Photo: Maritime NZ.
'It will be broken down and broken up and if it arrives there we can expect it to be in small patties.”
Emergency Wildlife Centre manager Kerri Morgan has despatched a team to Mayor Island and they have reported finding two dead birds there.
There is no oil on the beach at this stage and the two dead oiled birds are believed to have washed ashore.
The amount of oil heading north is much less than the quantity which washed up on beaches between Mount Maunganui and Maketu within a week of Rena's grounding.
MNZ salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson says the pumping operation aboard Rena is progressing well with 164 tonnes pumped off in the last 24 hours.
Environment Minister Nick Smith says this is the most oil to be pumped off Rena in a 24 hour period since the vessel ran aground on October 5.
'It's encouraging, but we are not out of the woods.”
The total pumped off the ship is 645 tonnes, leaving about 725 tonnes of oil aboard and accounted for, and another 350 tonnes unaccounted for.
Of the 725 tonnes accounted for, 127 tonnes is in the ship's port five tank, 228 tonnes is in the settling tanks in the engine room, 25 tonnes is in the service tank and 358 tonnes is in the starboard five tank.
The 645 tonnes pumped off Rena are from port five tank and pumping operations began at about 1pm to transfer oil from the settling tanks into port five tank.
It is then pumped onto Awanuia, the barge stationed at Rena's stern.
A diagram showing the pumping operation. Image: MNZ.
Conditions aboard Rena are unpleasant for the salvage team with Bruce noting the stench emanating from some of the containers a lowlight for the men – particularly a container holding animal hides.
'It's like a garbage bin, it's quite unpleasant.”
1 comment
the oil can be dealt with
Posted on 26-10-2011 06:44 | By Demandthetruth
I understand you have been offered 2 weeks ago a non polluting non toxic way of dealing with the oil so that it presents no danger to wildlife or fish or people or beaches. All it needs is for MNZ to run it on the slicks and it will be rendered harmless so why are they continuing to permit it be floating around causing harm?? They need to get their act together!!!! and try this process as it has proven to be highly succesful!! Sunlive & Readers do not be sucked in by the spin; we do not have to have the oil on our shores it can be sprayed over the water!!! They can even use it in the hols where they say they are working in oil!!
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