Work to stabilise wreck continues ahead of new tender for full wreck removal
SAMSA issues directive for full wreck removal
SOUTH AFRICA: Salvage efforts to stabilise the wreck of the Ultra Galaxy are ongoing ahead of the issuing of a further tender for a full wreck removal following a directive from the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to owners.
Smit International is currently completing the scope of work of their Wreck Hire Contract that includes the removal of oil, oil spill recovery, monitoring the stability of the vessel and stabilising the structure in preparation for the wreck removal.
According to Richard Robertson, who is leading the Smit team onsite, the option of towing the broken vessel off the coast for sinking is no longer viable.
Smit International took over operations after the LOF (with SCOPIC invoked) with Resolve Salvage was cancelled and managed to pump some of the oil from the wreck with the equipment on site before more bad weather stopped operations.
Working with the weather
Several consecutive cold fronts have hampered salvage work and impacted significantly on the stability of the wreck since she ran aground. Now broken apart, the salvors are maximising any window of good weather to assess the amount of oil still on board and commence with retrieval.
Using a helicopter to lift one ton of oil at a time, eight tons were removed in this way last week, but the Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV), Shaw Tide, is in position to pump more oil from the wreck when the conditions permit.
“The structural integrity of the vessel is not good,” admitted Robertson on Friday during a press conference held onsite to provide an update on the salvage operations. “The priority is to remove all the oil,” he added as he acknowledged the impact of weather conditions which are severely hampering safe access to the vessel.
Robertson admits that plans are constantly evolving to ensure the safety of the crew while optimising their work. He adds that the weather has certainly escalated the difficulty of the salvage attempt.
Safety
With no loss time due to injuries, the health and safety of the team is being carefully managed. Rope access experts from Rope Access Inspection (RAI) have assisted in securing salvors working on board the vessel.
The listing angle of the wreck as well as the gusts of wind emerging through the cracks in the hull, make working on the wreck both challenging and potentially dangerous. “We are working with only four to six people on board the wreck at a time,” says Robertson.
Underwater visibility has also impacted the safety of the divers who are contending with the soft seabed sand causing murky conditions during their inspections.
Nicholas Bernt of SpillTech, who is managing the team of locals undertaking the beach clean-up, also highlights the need to monitor his crew. “It’s physically demanding work,” he says, explaining that regular breaks are required and sufficient water, safety gear as well as training ensures that everyone can work effectively.
Small teams of 10 to 15 people are managed by a supervisor on the beach to create a coordinated effort to bag the affected sand into manageable sizes before they are removed to the skips at the salvage station.
Logistical challenges
With only a small town some 40 minutes’ drive away from the salvage site, the team has had to, not only contend with extreme weather, but also address significant logistical challenges.
Mobilising to the site, a salvage station was cleared in only two days to accommodate skips, a mobile office, a helicopter landing area as well as parking area for vehicles involved in operations to give them quick access to the beach and wreck.
Robertson confirms that the mining company operating a sand mining concession along the beach has provided a road approach to the impacted areas to allow for the launching of rubber ducks as well as the access of the large team of locals from the community who have been contracted to assist with the beach clean-up.
With about 125 locals added to the team of divers, salvors, P&I representatives, environmental monitors, vessel crew, rope access experts, oil spill specialists and more, the total complement of active participants is in the region of 300 people.
Although providing a significant economic boost to the closest town of Lutzville, it has put a strain on the accommodation facilities of the small community. Robertson, who admits that the daily travel time to the salvage station has been frustrating, confirms that some members of the salvage team will relocate to a campsite that has been established on a farm just 5km away.
Even the consistency of the beach sand, which is rich in minerals, has provided its share of challenges. The bakkies involved in removing the bags of oily sand collected by hand along the beach have had to be pulled free by one of the Smit tractors on more than one occasion.
The availability of suitable helicopters also proved to be a challenge. Although initially seeking to mobilise a machine with a winch on board, the team has had to opt to carry crew and loads that are slung from under the helicopter.
Coordinated operation
According to Captain Vernon Keller of SAMSA, the South African Maritime Safety Authority’s Incident Management System (IMS) which includes the IMorg structure consisting of industry, government and non-governmental entities has responded well to the current situation.
Neville Noble of SAMSA, who is heading up the IMorg structure for the Ultra Galaxy incident, adds that the IMS has provided an effective response both to planning and operations since the vessel ran aground.
Since establishing the system, SAMSA has initiated several simulation exercises to prepare for such an incident. Noble confirms that the structure of the IMS is more inclusive than the previous system of creating a Joint Operating Committee (JOC) for salvage operations.
Information is key
A quick peek inside the mobile salvage office stationed just above the beach highlights the importance of actively updating and collating information.
The team is constantly being fed new information from those on board the wreck, which is noted on the vessel’s blueprints to maintain an accurate overview of oil recovery and vessel stability.
Rudolph Punt of Smit, who was on hand to explain some of the notations on the vessel diagram, highlighted the position of the tanks that have already been assessed as well as those that divers still need to access.
The team has also used drone footage to render an extremely realistic computer 3D model of the wreck that allows them to “walk” through plans and make informed operational decisions. Although a bathymetric survey has already been undertaken, further surveys are planned to provide updated information.
“We use the available information to constantly undertake scenario planning that includes both best- and worst-case scenarios.”
“We use the available information to constantly undertake scenario planning that includes both best- and worst-case scenarios,” says Robertson.
Input from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is also useful for instigating strategies to respond to spilled oil from the vessel. Amy Jewell and Sue Wane of ITOPF both flew in from the United Kingdom (UK) to join the team in mid-July.
“We can provide a risk assessment on the behaviour of the oil based on modelling that takes sea conditions into account,” explains Jewell. With access to data from similar incidents across the globe, the ITOPF experts can tap into a wealth of experience and merge it with local knowledge.
“Our aim is to ensure that a contingency plan of people and resources mitigates any harm to the environment,” adds Wane.
James Moran of NorthStandard is on site as a representative of the vessel owner’s insurance cover.
Incident investigation
In accordance with international law, the vessel’s Flag State (Panama) will undertake the full incident investigation. Keller of SAMSA noted that a surveyor was due to arrive on site to commence the study this week.
He added that the Flag State had flown to the Philippines to interview the crew and that SAMSA would make available the information gleaned from crew during their own interviews undertaken when they were taken ashore in the Port of Saldanha Bay.
Wreck removal
Although it is not possible to predict how long the current operations will take, SAMSA has confirmed that they will issue a full wreck removal directive once the vessel is stabilised, and all the oil has been removed.
The Japanese owners, Fujita Shoji Co, will be responsible for contracting a salvage company to undertake this next phase.
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