Recent storms have hammered the wreck of the OS 35, a bulk carrier which sank off the coast of Gibraltar last year. Nevertheless, authorities remain confident salvors can remove the smashed vessel by the end of May as stipulated in earlier signed salvage contracts.
The ship came into contact with LNG carrier Adam LNG while manoeuvring to exit the port of Gibraltar on August 29 last year. The aft of the ship grounded, and a gash opened up on the starboard of the hull and in the following weeks the ship lost its structural integrity.
Damage to both the accommodation block and hull had been anticipated and prepared for ahead of recent bad weather with the stripping of the interior and unloading of the vessel prior to the onset of stormy conditions. Whilst the wreck has sustained structural damage in recent days, most visibly to the starboard side of the accommodation block and hull, this is not considered to be extensive given the overall situation. The debris from this is contained within the site of the wreck.
The original crack in the hull has extended to the port side, and the two parts of the ship are now only tenuously held together by the very bottom part of its structure, known as the bilge keel. The bow is now sitting a further 4 m into the sandy sea bed, whilst the stern is now sitting a further 2 m into the sea bed. This is a result of shifting sands with heavy swells.
The damage to the hull has enabled divers to conduct visual inspections of fuel tank 1. As a result divers have been able to confirm that all four tanks that make up tank 1 have suffered damage. There is still some light sheening, which is being contained within a boom. The other set of fuel tanks remain undamaged and are situated in the aft area of the wreck, which has not suffered any damage.
The removal of the vessel’s cargo continues to be the first priority at this stage of the operation, with over 11,000 tonnes, representing around a third of the total cargo, already removed. Between 600 and 900 tonnes of cargo are being removed daily.
The work to remove the OS 35 and its cargo continues to progress well, and the downtime dictated by the winter storms was built in to the planned project timeline agreed between local authorities and salvors. The current condition of the wreck and the damage to its hull and structure means that some of the plans for its final removal may need to be tweaked.
