CAROLINE BEZENGI
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Oil offload appeared to come closer
An offload operation appeared to be imminent from the 'Caroline Bezengi', which remained firmly stuck on the rocks off the southwestern tip of the island of Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, Oman. The appointed salvor Ambrey Salvage had first monitored the condition of the tanker, identifying that it was settling and developing a further list, and also worked to reduce oil leakage. Leaks were stopped up about two weeks ago, likely as a consequence of pumping oil from leaking to intact tanks. The work was facilitated by the end of the Khareef monsoon season. With wave and wind conditions now relatively calm and stable, and likely to remain so for the next week, emptying the remaining tanks could now commence. The effort was to protect the Hallaniyat Islands Marine Buffer Zone with its endangered species of Arabian Sea humpback whale, spinner and Risso’s dolphins, unique seabirds and loggerhead turtles from further oil pollution. It could also recover what could be as much as 650,000 barrels of crude that, once dewatered, could be worth about $50 million. As of Nov 9, the Maltese-flagged Aframax tanker 'Hydra' (IMO: 9294551) was visible west of the island in satellite imagery. A second tanker may also be present, as were two tugs and an MPSV. If and when the oil transfer is completed, the salvor may still be considering whether the tanker was lightened enough to be floated off. Otherwise the disposal of a heavily polluted wreck would be a residual problem that the Omani government will need to consider. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/oil-offload-imminent-for-wrecked-tanker-caroline-bezengi
Oil loss brought to a halt
The salvage operation at the 'Caroline Bezengi' to recover its remaining cargo appears to have achieved its first major success. Even the slight traces of oil that were leaking from the wreck last week appeared to have disappeared, on the basis of analysis of satellite imagery covering the scene on Oct 26. Wind and sea state had been perfect for salvage operations with light seas, a wind speed of 2.34 m/s blowing to the northwest, and with a moderate swell, and the prevailing conditions looked set for the coming week. The oil leakage was likely to have been brought under control by pumping oil out of leaking tanks into those on board that were still intact. Oil pumps had been dropped off onto the deck of the tanker by a helicopter of the Royal Air Force of Oman.The wreck remained firmly stuck on the rocks off the southwest tip of Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, having been hit while off the coast of Yemen on June 8 by what was believed to have been a limpet mine attack. The shadow fleet tanker was sanctioned by the EU, the UK, and the US (OFAC), and had had a past association with Russian state shipowner Sovcomflot.
Calmer weather may enable lighter tanker to approach wreck
It appeared that the salvage activity on the 'Caroline Bezengi' was continuing, where the wreck remained firmly stuck on the rocks off the southwest tip of Jazirat Al Qibliyyah. The tanker was sanctioned by the EU, UK and US (OFAC), and has a past association with Russian state shipowner Sovcomflot, when a suspected limpet-mine blast occurred on June 8 enroute from Novorossiysk to Gujarat in loaden condition. The crew was taken off on June 12 by another sanctioned and Russian-connected dark fleet tanker, the 'Noble Walker' (IMO: 9292981), which was also en route to India with Russian oil aboard. The abandoned 'Caroline Bezengi' drifted in northeasterly direction with the monsoon winds until finally running aground on June 30. Wind speeds on Oct 8 were reported as a comparatively light 11 knots. Swells were less than one meter and were expected to remain so for the following week. These conditions were expected to enable operations on the deck of the tanker, and may enable the next phase of the salvage plan, maneuvering a small tanker close in to the lee of the island to start the offloading of the remaining fuel on board the half-submerged ship. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/calm-seas-favor-salvage-operations-at-shadow-fleet-tanker-wreck-off-oman
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