Gibraltar authorities are readying to reopen the enclave’s port today, having yesterday dialled back the severity of the crisis surrounding the wrecked bulk carrier, OS 35.
.The majority of the fuel from the ship, which has been lying off the Gibraltar coastline for the last nine days, has been siphoned off.
The ship collided with an anchored gas carrier, Adam LNG, while departing Gibraltar on Monday last week. Badly damaged on its starboard side, the bulk carrier was ordered to come close to shore where its bow has come to rest. A 10 m by 4 m gash has been found on its hull.
Salvors have been working round the clock to secure the ship over the past week with local authorities deeming the vessel was no longer a major incident issue.
Work is ongoing to consolidate remaining fuel from various small tanks into the previously emptied diesel tank starboard and pump it out to a slops barge.
Skimming operations continue directly on the vessel’s deck and within the first containment boom.
There is no longer any sheen from the vessel travelling towards the west side of the Rock. Sheen coming from dirty response vessels returning to berth is being tackled by a specialised small vessel with sorbent booms also deployed.
Investigations into the collision are ongoing.
