BISSO MARINE Salvages Abandoned Barge

BISSO MARINE recently salvaged the first of two abandoned barges from the Mississippi River in the Port of New Orleans for the United States Coast Guard. The two 270’ x 50’ Red Flag Oil Barges are the last of hundreds of Hurricane Katrina related salvage casualties which the Coast Guard had managed.

The salvage of the first barge was complicated due to an unknown petrochemical sludge which was found to be in the cargo holds. The BISSO MARINE salvage team, including members of T&T BISSO, LLC and MARINE POLLUTION RESPONSE, successfully lightered a significant amount of product from the barge while on the river bottom prior to bringing the barge to the surface. Once on the surface, the salvage team continued to lighter the sludge into a receiver tank barge for proper disposal. Having sustained damage which prevented any refloating possibilities, the first Red Flag Oil Barge will be lifted on to the 300’ x 100’ deck barge BISSO 301 and transported to the remediation and disposal site.