Safmarine Agulhas - update

Jul 19, 2006
Author: SMIT Salvage

No pollution has been reported to be emanating from the grounded container ship 'Safmarine Agulhas' in the last 36 hours and the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism's (DEAT) patrol aircraft Kuswag VIII remains stationed in East London and continues to overfly the casualty daily to monitor the situation in this regard. A team of experts from DEAT has been stationed in East London since the vessel ran aground and oil spill abatement equipment is on site and will be utilised if necessary. The team is conducting daily beach patrols to monitor any impact on the environment.

With the vast majority of the heavy fuel oil off of the vessel, the risk that the 'Safmarine Agulhas' now poses to the marine environment has been significantly
reduced. Of the 747 tonnes of heavy fuel oil onboard the vessel when she ran aground, all but approximately 20 tonnes remain unaccounted for, with 727 tonnes having been removed from the vessel in a fuel removal operation undertaken by the team from SMIT Salvage. Efforts to skim heavy fuel oil from the engine room and holds in which water ingress has been reported continue.

All deck cargo as well as containers located in two of the vessel's four holds have been removed and the salvage team is now focussing on removing the remaining 199 containers from the two cargo holds open to the water. 32 of these containers had been removed from the 'Safmarine Agulhas' thus far. This phase of the cargo removal operation is more challenging than the removal of deck cargo and is being conducted with due concern for personnel safety. The vessel was carrying 469 loaded containers containing varied cargo and 112 empty containers when it ran aground.

The tug 'Smit Amandla' remains on contract to the 'Safmarine Agulhas' salvage operation and is currently in the Port of East London where she is on 20 minute standby. She will be utilised in the operation as and when required. Should the 'Safmarine Agulhas'' structural integrity deteriorate, a decision will be made as to whether any future refloating attempts will be possible.

The container ship 'Safmarine Agulhas' has been aground for 23 days off of the Western Breakwater, Port of East London. The vessel ran aground on Monday 26th June after suffering engine failure shortly after she exited the port en route to Durban. Several refloating attempts utilising harbour tugs and the tug 'Smit Amandla' did not achieve success and the vessel remained firmly aground. Subject to grounding forces and the continuous powerful action of the sea, the steady deterioration of the vessel's structural integrity remains cause for concern and is being assessed and monitored by the onboard salvage team.

Shipping operations are continuing as normal in the Port and are not
impacted on by the current situation.