The 300,000 dwt very large ore carrier Stellar Banner, which had been stranded off Brazil since the end of February, has been refloated.
, which had been stranded off Brazil since the end of February, has been refloated.The 2016-built ship, owned by South Korean owner Polaris Shipping, ran aground on a sand bank off the Brazilian coast after leaving Vale’s Ponta da Maritime Terminal in the state of Maranhao. All the crew members onboard the ship were safely evacuated from the ship after the incident.
According to the Brazilian Navy, the vessel was refloated after the removal of around 145,000 tonnes of iron ore and 3,900 cu m of oil and it has been towed to deeper waters about 111 km from Sao Luis.
The vessel will undergo structural inspections with support of divers and a remotely operated submarine vehicle. A navy patrol ship is also on site to monitor possible oil leakage. Polaris Shipping reported earlier that the ship suffered damage to its bow.
Brazilian authorities have also started investigations on the environmental impact of the incident.
