Salvage teams on board the stricken cargo vessel Rena have now pumped off half the ship's oil onto the barge vessel Awanuia.
The ship was carrying 1700 tonnes of fuel oil when it ran aground on Astrolabe Reef three weeks ago spilling 350 tonnes of oil into the ocean. With pumping continuing overnight, salvors estimate they have passed the halfway mark.
Half of the oil has been pumped off the Rena. Photo: MNZ
Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson says it is encouraging to reach the halfway milestone, but warned the second half of the fuel posed some serious challenges.
'The salvors now have the pumping system working well and they are getting good transfer rates, which is excellent.”
'However, the second half of the oil is in around four tanks, rather than one – and one of them is submerged underwater.”
Bruce says salvors will be working today to establish a fuel transfer system from the three tanks in the engine room, which together hold around 250 tonnes of oil, to the tug Go Canopus.
A report on TVNZ's 10pm news broadcast on Tuesday saying the Rena is breaking up is incorrect.
This was an error at TVNZ's end – they accidentally ran some pre-prepared material and they have since corrected the error.
Maritime New Zealand confirmed Rena's condition has not changed and Svitzer is continuing to monitor the condition of the vessel with teams on board and motion sensors and GPS equipment monitoring the bow and stern.
MNZ national on scene commander Rob Service says the team at the incident command centre was continuing to prepare contingency planning in case the remnants of the five to 10 tonnes of oil released from the ship overnight on Saturday, October 22 reached TÅ«hua/Mayor Island or the Coromandel.
On current projections, the remaining oil is not expected to reach land for two more days.
Rob says as the oil has now been in the water for several days, any remaining oil will be weathered and likely to wash up on shoreline as tar patties or tar balls.
Operational teams were going to both areas today to assess response options.
'We have a team going to TÅ«hua today to assess the use of booms to protect key areas. We have also sent teams to assess the impact any oil reaching the shore could have on wildlife.”
A wildlife stabilisation site had been set up on the island.
3 comments
What about the containers?
Posted on 26-10-2011 08:45 | By wreck1080
Given the run of good weather, are they going to start to unload containers? Some guy is missing his holden.
A long hot summer
Posted on 26-10-2011 21:20 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
The salvage team finally got hold of larger diameter pipeline to assist in pumping this thick cold black oil. Seems the general public are lulled into thinking the challenge is being dealt with out there and that the worse is over... all the best to the salvage team in their continued efforts with this oil discharge, but it will not get any easier, just more difficult. Meantime better keep our fingers crossed for a long hot summer to heat the oil and prolonged calm seas so the salvage team can continue the works... meantime what is the Maritime NZ plan of attack for removal of containers? I hear or see nothing on this subject, maybe it is being left for nature to deal with as possibly Maritime NZ can only deal with one problem at a time. Was there not initial talk of a of floating crane barge arriving from ocverseas? Nothing like that available here in NZ anymore... sold off along with other 'non-profit' making harbourboard assetts.
Brave Men
Posted on 27-10-2011 09:52 | By grizly
You have to take your hat off for the salvers, I would not go onboard that hulk for a Gold pig. The sea is twisting and rising the hull all the time. Hero's every one of them.
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