Crews salvage oil from ship stranded on Barrier Reef
Salvage crews at a damaged coal carrier stuck on the Great Barrier Reef today began pumping fuel oil from the stricken vessel onto another barge to carry it away and prevent it from leaking onto the delicate reef.
Patrick Quirk, general manager of Maritime Safety Queensland, said inflatable booms were in place around the vessels to trap and contain any oil that may spill during the procedure.
“This is a delicate operation that will take days, not hours,” Mr Quirk said in a statement. “We’re not going to rush into this operation. We want to manage the risk and manage it closely.”
The Shen Neng 1 had nearly 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board when it crashed full speed onto Douglas Shoal, a protected area of the world’s largest coral reef. Coral shredded one part of the ship, and three or four tons of oil leaked from a ruptured fuel tank. That oil was dispersed by chemical sprays.
Officials must remove the remaining oil in order to safely refloat the Chinese ship and prevent any further spillage.
Fuel from the stricken Chinese coal carrier will be pumped onto the Larcom bunker barge, which can carry up to 1,500 tonnes of oil.
Around 250 people are on standby in case oil reaches the coast but that is now considered unlikely.
Maritime authorities are investigating how the accident occurred, and the Queensland government said the ship’s owners would be responsible for paying the clean-up and salvage costs.
The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species.
The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism hub.
