A Smit crane vessel is en route to the burnt-out Shreyas Shipping and Logistics vessel SSL Kolkata off the Sundarbans in India.
The 1,118-teu vessel (built 2006) remains aground in soft mud some 7.5 nautical miles offshore, the operator said.
It was hit by an explosion and fire on 13 June. All 22 crew were saved.
Salvor Smit has mobilised its Smit Borneo platform to assist with remaining bunker, cargo, and debris removal operations.
The vessel has developed a list to starboard, with the deck now part submerged. The removal of bunker fuel and cargo remain a priority, with the primary aim of protecting the marine environment and preventing any pollution from cargo or fuel oil, Shreyas added.
A team from industry-funded oil spill response company OSRL has now arrived on site and is in the process of managing the counter-pollution effort with crews of various small local craft locally.
These ships can more easily approach the site than heavy plant, given the conditions locally.
A specialist clean-up contractor, Le Floch Depollution, have also been retained and is currently on site in the event of an oil leakage
"Shreyas takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and with partner agencies and contractors is making every effort to ensure that this situation is brought to a safe and timely conclusion, despite the very challenging monsoon season conditions which are currently being faced," the company said.
It is understood the hull insurers have not yet declared it a constructive total loss, although Shreyas has issued a notice of abandonment.
