Operations to pump oil from the grounded bulker Ultra Galaxy, which ran aground some 385 kilometres north of the Port of Cape Town in heavy weather on July 9, is expected to get under way before the weekend, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has said.
Thus far a prolonged period of extreme weather and heavy swells have hampered salvaging work on the 2008-built, Panama-flagged general cargo vessel.
On July 18, as a period of relatively calm weather seemed to hold firm, Samsa announced it was ready to do what is necessary to proceed with salvaging operations.
The Authority’s chief operations officer, Sobantu Tilayi, confirmed to Reuters that Resolve Marine, a US-based company, has been appointed to lead the salvage effort.
A comprehensive plan is nearing completion, with swift action planned to erect a platform at the wrecked vessel to facilitate the oil pumping.
The Ultra Galaxy is reported to contain 500 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel and hydraulic oil.
Efforts have been ongoing this week to remove the remaining cargo of bagged fertiliser.
Heavy surf and waves had dislodged the hatch covers from the 410-foot bulker, which lies on its side along a remote stretch of the Atlantic coast south-west of Doringbaai.
Samsa said it had noted that most of the fertiliser likely dissolved in the ocean, but the plastic bags are washing ashore, posing a navigational hazard.
Several hatch covers have been retrieved along the shoreline. However, Samsa has warned of potential navigation risks as debris may drift from the wreck. Among the debris, a lifeboat has also washed ashore.
Resolve Marine plans to heat the fuel and pump it from the vessel's tanks. Samsa reported that the vessel remains intact, which aids the salvage operation. There are concerns that if the vessel begins to break apart, the fuel tanks could rupture, leading to leaks.
Salvage teams have pre-positioned assets along the coast in anticipation of an oil leak. However, the rough surf has prevented the deployment of containment devices around the vessel.
In another incident related to last week's inclement weather conditions off the Cape's south-eastern coast, a CMA CGM container vessel, the Benjamin Franklin, lost 44 boxes overboard during high waves, with other containers damaged but remaining onboard.
After anchoring off Port Elizabeth, the ship has resumed its voyage to France.
The current weather forecast predicts more rain and winds of up to 48kms an hour around Cape Town on Friday, followed by several days of sunshine and calm weather. – Source: Maritime Executive.
