Two anchor-handlers owned by Maersk Supply Service that sank before Christmas have been located and some signs of pollution have been reported.
With the assistance of a small support vessel, the Danish owner found the 18,273-bhp Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper (both built 1999) in French waters.
The two ships were heading for the breakers’ yards in Turkey when they sank on 22 December.
The Maersk Searcher was located about 700 metres off the position it was believed to have sunk in, while the Maersk Shipper was found more than 7km away.
Following a thorough study conducted by French authorities, some polluting elements were found on the two hulls of the sunken ships, which could pose a risk to the environment.
Maersk Supply has been asked to conduct an investigation before 1 February in order to estimate the extent of the possible damage.
The owner has been offloading older tonnage over the past few months as part of its plan to confront the challenging offshore market.
The company has been contacted for further comment.
