Salvage and Refloat Operations Kickstarted on Grounded Ships

On May 23, lightering and refloating operations have been started on the product tanker Siteam Anja off the coast of Uruguay and salvage work kickstarted in clearing the wrecks of the bulker Flinterstar off Belgium.

 Flinterstar Salvage:

Recovery work has been started on the grounded Dutch freighter Flinterstar as of monday and by the end of the year it is expected to completely free up the busy shipping route of its wrecks.  The Flinterstar that ran aground on a sandbank off the coast of Zeebrugge after a collision with the tanker Al-Oraiq is lying on the busy shipping route.

A combined team comprised of salvors from Herbosch-Kiere NV, Jan De Nul NV Dredging International NV and Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors NV is on the job.

“For our economy, this is good news.  The wreck has meant we’ve put a speed limit nearby and even a no-go zone for pleasure and fishing boats.  That will soon no longer be necessary,” said Belgium’s Secretary of State Philippe De Backer.

Anjal Refloat:

Re-float effort has been kick-started for the tanker Siteam Anja which was aground on May 17 off Lobos Island, Uruguay on monday.  The Tanker is set to be refloated by the US-based salvage company T&T Salvage, according to the Uruguayan Navy.  The navy said that it is considering sending another tanker to the site to perform lightering operation, which would assist the salvage efforts.

Initial damage assessment determined that the double bottom of the tanker, loaded with more than 32,000 m³ vegetable oil, was breached allowing for a certain degree of water ingress.

The tanker Sealion is brought to perform the lightering operations by pumping out the water, and the vessels relatively shallow draft (four meters) will give an adequate safety margin to perform the work.

The total estimated cost of Anja’s salvage is expected to be in the range of $20 million.

Reference: ESYS, Het Nieuwsblad, Weldersmind

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•