The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has revealed that US-based salvage company Resolve Marine Group is leading the salvage operations on the wreck of an Ultrabulk-controlled multipurpose general cargo ship that ran aground on 9 July.
Although salvage operations on the 13,800-dwt Ultra Galaxy (built 2008) were initially hampered by bad weather, improving weather conditions this week allowed salvage experts to gain access to the ship and start sealing fuel tanks that are estimated to contain 500 tonnes of low sulphur fuel oil.
SAMSA chief operations officer Sobantu Tilayi told Reuters on Thursday that the fuel will be heated and pumped out of the ship’s tanks by Resolve Marine.
A platform is being erected at the wrecked vessel to facilitate the oil pumping.
The fact that the ship is still intact, according to Tilayi, helps with the salvage effort, but there are worries that the tanks can rupture and release the fuel oil if the ship starts to break up.
Assets have been prepositioned by salvage crews along the coast in case of an oil leak.
However, sea conditions have hindered the installation of containment measures around the ship.
Tilayi added that efforts are continuing to remove the remaining cargo of bagged fertilizer, most of which dissolved after the ship’s hatch covers were dislodged by heavy seas.
While the fertilizer has dissolved, the plastic bags have not, so teams scouring the nearby beaches are recovering them as they wash ashore.
Several hatch covers have been located and recovered. However, Samsa has warned of potential navigation risks as floating debris may drift from the wreck into nearby shipping lanes.
The Ultra Galaxy was abandoned by its crew on Monday 8 July after developing a severe list while nearing the South African coastline in extreme weather conditions. It was on a voyage from Spain to Tanzania.
The entire crew was rescued by a fishing vessel and landed safely on shore as the ship itself drifted onto a remote beach.
S&P Global’s International Ships Register lists the Ultra Galaxy as being owned by Fujita Shoji of Japan, with protection and indemnity coverage provided by NorthStandard.
