Fugro Refloats Survey Vessel off Italy
The Netherlands-based surveying firm Fugro has reported successful refloating of its geophysical survey vessel, Fugro Mercator, off the north coast of Italian island of Elba. The vessel run aground on March 22; though the cause is yet to be determined, harsh weather condition were reported in the area at the time.
On Friday, Fugro said that the vessel was safely towed back to port and is at a shipyard for inspection. The incident caused no injuries and no harm to the environment. A full review of the event is ongoing to determine what caused the vessel to run aground.
“We are grateful to the Italian coastguard and our partners for their swift response in evacuating our crew and salvaging the Fugro Mercator,” said Erik-Jan Bijvank, Group Director Europe and Africa.
The Fugro Mercator was performing survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project. The initiative is being carried out under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to restore marine habitats, update the national system for observing marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as map marine habitats across Italian waters.
The two-year project began in January and Furgo is working alongside Italian partners Poliservizi Srl and Prisma. In addition to the surveys, two seabed tsunami early-warning stations in the Sardinian Channel and the South Ionian Sea will be included.
Fugro has said that it working with the Italian government to ensure the survey work goes uninterrupted after the grounding incident. In this regard, Fugro has committed to dispatch another survey vessel, Fugro Helmert, which will sail to the Mediterranean to pick up the Mercator’s project. This will minimize the overall impact of the incident, added Fugro.
Progress Toward Refloating Chinese Bulker Grounded in Russia Seven Weeks
After seven weeks of preparation, Russian and Chinese officials are reporting progress toward the refloating of a bulker that has been stranded since early February. The Chinese crew remained aboard the vessel being supplied from shore while the efforts were underway.
The vessel named An Yang 2, a Chinese-owned and registered bulker, was built in 2010, The vessel which is 56,700 dwt and 623 feet (190 meters) in length, was inbound to the Russian port of Nevelsk located on the southwest coast of the Sakhalin Island, on February 9. It was transporting 1,000 tons of coal.
The vessel encountered high seas and strong winds as a winter storm was overtaking the area. Early in the morning, it ran aground near the entrance to the port. Initial rescue efforts were delayed by a heavy snowfall and temperatures falling to 14 degrees F (-10 C). Efforts to survey the hull were hampered by the high seas and the fact the vessel was sitting on the rocks.
Determining there was no significant damage visible to the vessel, local authorities determined that the crew would remain aboard their ship, but emergency accommodations were arranged if they had to be evacuated. The surveys determined there were 50 tons of diesel and 700 tons of heavy fuel aboard but no leaks were observed.
Chinese officials report a delegation visited the ship. They also met with the local officials to plan the salvage effort. A contract has been signed for the removal of the fuel to lighten the vessel. Russian officials said that an access road also had to be created to reach the vessel.
No timing was offered for when they expected to have the vessel afloat.
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