Grounded Arctic Tanker Tries to Lighten Load

An attempt was underway Monday in the Northwest Passage to re-float a fuel tanker that has been stuck in a sandbar for nearly two weeks.



The merchant vessel MV NANNY ran aground Sept. 1 in Simpson Strait, about 50 kilometers southwest of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut.



The tanker was carrying 9.5 million liters of diesel bound for Nunavut’s remote communities. The double-hulled tanker was not damaged when it ran aground, and no diesel has leaked from it to date.



A second Woodward’s fuel tanker MV Tuvaq arrived in the Gjoa Haven area on Sunday and began pumping fuel out of the MV Nanny on Monday.



Government officials estimate that removing at least 2.5 million liters of diesel will float the tanker. The Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada are continue to monitor the operation.



Photo Courtesy of the Canadian Coast Guard