Salvage operations unabated by Covid risk

The tug owning and salvage subsidiary of Boskalis group has also increased its market share of US Oil Pollution Act OPA90 operations to 50% after jointly acquiring Ardent Americas with Donjon Marine.

Smit Salvage managing director Richard Janssen said emergency response and wreck removal was not halted because of Covid-19, although operations were more challenging.

“It is a testimony to the dedication of all our staff across the globe who, despite the uncertainty and challenges and adherence to our strict travel and quarantine protocols, continue to help shipowners in distress,” he said.

“Like many organisations, specific protocols needed to be quickly introduced and open communication became paramount in keeping up to date with this global health crisis that was changing daily.”

Mr Janssen said Smit personnel had introduced strict health measures to ensure salvage work could continue unabated, and were evacuated if there were higher risks.

“We could continuously assess any potential risks and at the point when the safety of our people and specifically, the medical support response, could no longer be guaranteed, we extracted the team – chartering planes if required – to bring them safely home,” he said.

Coronavirus challenged Smit to maintain the short period between an accident being reported and deployment of salvage teams. “The preparations required to ensure the speed in which we respond to international emergencies is certainly far more complex now due to additional quarantine regulations,” Mr Janssen continued.

“Therefore, it is more important than ever that we continue with an agile approach and respond accordingly to the changing nature of this crisis in the months to come.”

Wakashio salvage operations

This year, Smit assisted on one of the most high-profile salvage projects to date. Capesize bulker Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef offshore Mauritius in July, releasing almost 800 tonnes of fuel oil into the sea. Smit mobilised a team of 30 personnel to the site and removed more than 3,000 tonnes of the remaining bunker fuel, despite bad weather and high waves.

Bunker fuel was transferred to a chartered tanker or pumped into large portable tanks on the deck, which were taken away by helicopters when the tanker could not remain alongside the casualty due to high seas. Around 85% of the original bunker oil was removed, said Smit.

A connection was established by drone between the grounded ship and tug Boka Expedition to enable a fast reaction if Wakashio started to break up.

This happened on 15 August, causing the bow section to separate from the stern. A towing connection was then rigged up to a second tug, Boka Summit.

These tugs, each with 205 tonnes of bollard pull, refloated the bow section on 18-19 August. Smit said the bow was then “towed to a location designated by the authorities, where it was scuttled in a controlled way in accordance with the instructions of the client and the authorities”.

Salvage work continues, with Smit sanitising the stern section and determining the removal of the stern that remains grounded on the reef.