Oil pumping makes progress

Pumping of hydraulic and lube oils is continuing from the Rena's engine room into the Awanuia today.

A team of three salvors remained on board overnight.

Maritime New Zealand says sea water has been pumped into the starboard tank to allow fuel recovery via two hot taps which were installed on Thursday.

This will also continue today.

Visible buckling on the port side of the Rena. Photo: Svitzer

MNZ says salvage teams on board the cargo vessel Rena are making good progress, and have resumed pumping of oil off the ship.

Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson says dive teams confirmed yesterday that the 'coffer dam' or water-tight barrier under construction to enable access to the submerged starboard tank is now unusable.

'The coffer dam was destroyed in the heavy weather conditions that occurred after the team left the vessel on Monday. Given the amount of time it would take to rebuild this, they have decided to focus their efforts on hot tapping.”

To hot tap the tank, a flange is bolted to the deck of the flooded passageway and a hole is cut into the fuel tank through the flange.

Water is then pumped into the fuel tank, raising the oil to the top, so it can be pumped out.

Bruce says this was a slower method of recovering the oil but was the best option available to the salvage team.

'The safety of the salvors is always the priority, and the destruction of the coffer dam really highlights how challenging the situation they are working in is.”
He says the salvage team had set up two hot taps and is now pumping water into the starboard tank.

Another salvage team is continuing to pump the lube and hydraulic oils in the engine room into a centralised tank.

The tanker Awanuia is now connected to Rena and the team is pumping these oils off the ship.

You may also like....

6 comments

Woo hoo

Posted on 05-11-2011 10:05 | By ShadE

Woo hoo we're gettin' there!


ALL AT RISK

Posted on 05-11-2011 11:26 | By PLONKER

Yet pumping continues, will be a good day to see all/almost all off the ship.


Heroes

Posted on 05-11-2011 11:38 | By grahamwood

These men on the ship are heroes. They are clearly working under dangerous conditions and having to change tack as the ship deteriorates. All power to their arms! God bless them.


SCARY PART

Posted on 05-11-2011 14:02 | By SCOTT NUFFIN4U

That to have 20 men on the ship requires 200+ to take up residence in an ex Supermarket building ... the numbers are just not right, a well run out fit foucused on results will have the numbers around the other way. Of course to state the obvious a lot more would then have been achieved on board a lot sooner.


Beatmetoit

Posted on 05-11-2011 14:35 | By sojourner

Grahamwood beat me to it: These men in the salvage team are heroes. I am so fed up with all the criticisms from arm chair do nothings who neither could nor would be able to do what these men do. It might be costing millions of dollars, but they put their lives in danger 24/7 to get that ship pumped out and salvaged. They have my fullest respect and 'goodonya mates'!


Grahamwood

Posted on 05-11-2011 18:15 | By ShadE

Grahamwood for major! Great comments


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.