Pumping Rena Oil Continuing Story

The salvage team working on the grounded vessel Rena has removed 737 tonnes of fuel from the ship, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) confirmed today. The figure is accurate to 12pm on 26th October 2011 and leaves around 650 tonnes of fuel on the vessel, distributed between the submerged starboard number 5 tank and three tanks in the engine room. Pumping had temporarily stopped from the port number 5 tank this afternoon as salvors moved the pump deeper into the tank. 

 

The salvage team had yesterday begun pumping fuel from the engine room tanks into the port number 5 tank but this had proved ineffective, MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson said. Salvors were now working on a pumping system to take the fuel through a 4inch (about 10cm) hose and directly into the anchor-handling tug Go Canopus. The tug was alongside Rena and work was underway to connect the pumping system.

 

A dive team was continuing to work on establishing a fuel transfer system for the number 5 starboard tank, which challenging as the tank is underwater and the team needs to create a water-tight space to work from.

 

National On Scene Commander Nick Quinn said in the three weeks since Rena grounded there had been a huge amount of work completed by members of the oil spill response team and the more than 6,700 volunteers who had put their hands up to help.

 

Mr Quinn said resurfacing oil had been identified by shoreline clean-up assessment teams from Papamoa to Maketu Spit today. Teams had also identified fresh light oiling around Mount Maunganui and Leisure Island.

 

The beaches east of Tay Street to Maketu Spit remain closed, and Mr Quinn said with the current levels of oil still in the environment, it was unlikely they would open in time for the weekend.