Greek Oil Tanker Still Grounded
The Greek oil tanker Minerva Concert ran aground on Hatter Barn, just off the Danish eastern coast Monday night (about 6 pm local time). The tanker had left the Danish port of Frediricia en route to Rotterdam when the vessel veered from the standard traffic lane into the outer lane and hit the bank -- officials from Minerva Marine Incorporated, the shipping company that owns the Minerva Concert, later revealed that a crack in the ballast at the front of the vessel caused its shift in course. Though no official report of the cause of the grounding has been filed, initial suspicions by the company and others point to the two Danish pilots on board.
Though the tanker was carrying 81,200 tons of crude oil when the accident occurred, two Danish anti-pollution vessels have examined the Minerva Concert and there has been no report of an oil spill. Soon after the grounding, three Danish ships arrived at the site: the Thurø, the Søløven, and the environmental protection ship Marie Miljø. None of the 23 members of the crew were injured though some minimal structural damage to the Minerva Concert has been reported. Still, there is no real risk of an oil spill, according to Danish authorities.
Shortly after the grounding, Minerva Marine officials were very optimistic about being able to quickly refloat the vessel. However, two failed attempts by Danish tugs on Tuesday made officials rethink their plans. It is now thought that the tanker is stuck too deeply in the bank due to its full tanks. When MarEx went online, a new plan that involves unloading at least part of the Minerva Concert ’s cargo and then attempting to refloat it again was being formulated and was expected to be put into action in the next few days.
The route from Hatter Barn to Hatter Rev, which the Minerva Concert was traveling when it was grounded, is in the Great Belt, one of the major straits in Denmark. It is considered one of the most dangerous areas to travel by ship as groundings similar to this one occur there often. According to a Danish Maritime Authority study of groundings in the Great Belt from 1997-2005, 46 groundings occurred during that time, most of which “were caused by incorrect navigation.” The entire study can be read at http://soefart.inforce.dk/graphics/Synkron-Library/Sofartsstyrelsen/Publikationer/OKE/Temaundersoegelser/Temaundersoegelsgroundingsandcollisions011005.pdf.