Removal of Rena Fuel Steady

Salvage operations on board the cargo vessel Rena in New Zealand are progressing slowly but steadily, with a total of 171 tonnes removed from the vessel by the afternoon of 21st October 2011. Testing of a range of options to speed up the process is going on over the next 24 to 48 hours. The port number 5 tank from which fuel is being pumped originally held 772 tonnes.  

MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson said the oil is very difficult to work with and is flowing very slowly at present but the team will be doing everything they can to get it moving faster.

Captain van Wijngaarden said the maritime exclusion zone around Rena had now been reduced to less than half its previous size. Details of the reduced exclusion zone are available on in the Rena incident section of the Maritime New Zealand website.

 

The National On Scene Commander Alex van Wijngaarden reopened the Mount Maunganui beach from the base track through to Tay Street (approximately 3km). The beach was now open for public use, but not for swimming. Mount Maunganui Surf Lifesavers would not be on the beach tomorrow.

 

Five volunteer events will be taking place along the coastline tomorrow, and these will be managed through local iwi, the Defence Force and the volunteer coordination group.

 

Beach clean-up crews have recovered a total of 827 tonnes of solid waste. Other figures (approximation and they may change):

• Around 300 staff managing the overall response from the ICC

• 140 National Oiled Wildlife Response Team personnel working on the response, including veterinarians, expert responders and ornithologists with experience in the capture and treatment of oiled birds

• Around 60 trained oil spill responders leading clean-up and oil recovery operations

• Over 370 New Zealand Defence Force personnel for support to the oil spill response, beach clean-up, and conducting aerial and on-water operations

• 827 tonnes of waste collected

• Around 150 tonnes of oil recovered through fuel recovery operations on board Rena (at 7am on 21 October)

• 1,673 tonnes of oil on board Rena when it grounded

• Around 300 tonnes of oil lost overboard

• 25 member salvage team from the appointed salvage company Svitzer with local support teams and colleagues providing round-the-clock technical advice and analysis from Australia, Singapore and the Netherlands

• 11 containers with dangerous goods

• 500 birds can be housed at the Wildlife treatment and rehabilitation facility established in Te Maunga

• 285 animals being cared for at the wildlife facility

• 1,335 dead oiled birds found

• 4 dead seals

• 1 double-hulled tankerAwanuia,capable of receiving oil from Rena

• 4 Navy vessels Manawanui, Rotoiti, Pukaki and Endeavour involved in the response

• Seasprite and Iroquois helicopters supporting MNZ with aerial observation flights and transport of salvage experts to and fromRena

• 1 C172 aircraft used for aerial observation flight C172 aircraft used for aerial observation flight

• 2 MNZ-owned oil recovery vessels Kuaka from Auckland and Tukuperu from Picton

• 3ocean-going barges carrying specialist equipment and trained oil spill responders recovering heavy fuel oil in the water

• 1,200 metresof ocean-going booms from Taranaki and Australia

• Salvage equipment brought by Svitzer includes air compressors, power generators, chains, shackles, ropes, tools and oil removal equipment

 

Image Courtesy: Maritime New Zealand