Storms Further Breakup Grounded Bulker Ultra Galaxy Causing Oil Release
Winter storms continue to hamper the recovery efforts underway on the west coast of South Africa for the grounded Ultrabulk vessel Ultra Galaxy. Winter storms over the past weekend further damaged the hulk and caused an additional release of fuel oil.
Salvage teams had been successful earlier in August in surveying the wreck and locating oil that remained aboard. The weather however was preventing the efforts to pump the tanks. The salvage team explained they required a window of calm weather of up to a week for the effort to remove the fuel. The process of heating the oil before pumping would have required up to 48 hours.
“The stormy weather over the past few days has exacerbated the situation, causing the wreck to split further, break apart, and turn over, with almost the entire length of her hull now underwater,” reports the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). Earlier storms caused the vessel to break into two sections and ripped off the deckhouse with the crew accommodations. Surveys had also revealed additional stress fractures on the hull due to the repeated pounding by the high surf.
“The aerial inspection conducted on August 18, 2024, and today (Monday) revealed oil in the surrounding waters, accompanied by a strong odor, indicating leaks,” reports SAMSA. “However, the oil that has escaped is drifting within the predicted drift patterns and is washing up onto the immediate beaches, as predicted.”
Officials said it is too early to determine how much oil has been released or how much is still in the tanks of the vessel. Oil recovery teams had already been working along the coastline and South Africa is recruiting additional residents to participate in the cleanup efforts. The report says currently 170 people are involved in the efforts and as of today it would be increased to 200 people working on the cleanup. Aerial surveys remain underway looking for additional oil or debris from the wreck.
Wreck in early August after it split illustrates the level of damage (above) from the recent storms (SAMSA)
Salvage teams had been focused on removing the oil and preventing further pollution from the wreck. A removal plan for the hulk was being prepared.
Investigators from Panama, the flag state of the 13,800 dwt vessel which was built in 2008, were leading the effort into the wreck. They interviewed the crew which was repatriated to the Philippines and flew to South Africa to meet with SAMSA and inspect the situation.
The supposition is that the cargo of bagged fertilizer shifted on the vessel during a heavy storm off the west coast north of Cape Town. The crew abandoned the vessel on July 9 and was rescued by a fishing boat in the area. The vessel capsized and washed ashore on the remote coastline the following day and broke during a strong storm.
Other winter storms hitting South Africa in the past month have delayed the movement of containerships around the Cape of Good Hope. Two CMA CGM containerships also lost boxes overboard with the latest incident last weekend and a recovery effort is still underway. The CMA CGM Belem took refuge in Algoa Bay and is waiting for a pier so that the containers can be stabilized. In addition, SAMSA received a report that a seafarer had gone overboard from a Liberian-flagged bulker, the Serenity Diva, 44 miles south of Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape on Monday. Search efforts were underway for the missing individual.