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Helicopter deployed to remove fuel from grounded boxship

Tricky weather conditions have forced salvors working the grounded Kea Trader off New Caledonia to use a helicopter to offload the fuel on the ship. Lomar Shipping, the ship’s owner, anticipates the 2,194 teu boxship’s bunker fuel will all be offloaded by next week. The ship ran aground on July 12. Bunker fuel is now being moved from the vessel in tanks, by helicopter, onto a nearby barge, led by salvage firm Ardent.

This operation began on July 27. Oil spill prevention measures and equipment remain on site.

Once the heavy fuel oil has been extracted, attention will turn to the removal of the Kea Trader’s load of 756 containers, 553 of which were being carried empty for onward cargo shipments. This forms part of a plan for refloating the vessel

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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