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UPDATE: Oil Pumping on Rena is Slow but Steady

Published Oct 21, 2011 11:48 AM by The Maritime Executive

Salvage teams working on the Rena in the Bay of Plenty, NZ, have pumped another 60-ton of heavy oil off of the container ship since operations were halted due to troublesome weather. 

The 60-tons pumped combined with what has been pumped earlier in the week makes only 171-tons of removed oil from 1,700 total aboard the Rena, according to Maritime New Zealand.  1,140-tons of oil still remain on the ship as the salvage crew work to empty the fuel tanks. 

Salvage unit manager of Maritime New Zealand, Bruce Anderson, told the Sydney Morning Herald that they made steady, but slow progress on Friday in the pumping operation.  He said that while they achieved a goal of getting the oil to pump steadily, it is moving very slowly. Anderson added that the crew also intended to conduct sounding tests on thanks that will provide a more accurate figure on how much oil remains on the Rena. 

With the expected good weather on the horizon, salvage teams and clean-up crews hope to have seen the worst of the Rena disaster.  The teams are expected to resume pumping on Saturday, after the overnight crew has been replaced in the morning. 

An estimated 350 tons of oil have spilled into the Bay of Plenty and drifted onto its pristine coast.  Oil has been spreading up towards East Cape, where sightings have been reported at Te Kaha, Waihau Bay and Lottin Point.  Other than the oiled beaches, debris from fallen containers has been washing up in the Bay, where volunteers are gathering to clean up the main affected beaches. 

An ocean modeling scientist told NZ’s Stuff that containers and debris could be sighted along more distant coasts within weeks.  The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research will be dropping sensors into the water in order to project where the strong currents might be sending Rena debris.  NIWA officials said that container debris could be taken as far as Chile if it follows certain Pacific Ocean currents. 

Rena’s ship captain and first officer are set to face trial operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk, which carries a maximum penalty of one year's jail.