After delays due to bad weather, the operation to remove 54,304 tonnes of Vacuum Gas Oil from the merchant vessel Genmar Companion is expected commence imminently (6th January).
Both ships are currently being manoeuvred together by tugs and are being held side- by-side 1.5 miles out in Belfast Lough. The cargo is transferred from one to the other using specialist equipment.
The operation to berth, make lines secure and conduct final checks will take several hours before the actual transfer of the oil begins.
The operation to offload the cargo to the tanker BW Seine is expected to take between 24 and 36 hours. For the duration of the operation there will be a one- mile exclusion zone around the Genmar Companion and BW Seine to give the tugs a safe working area.
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World Maritime News Staff, January 6, 2012; Image: MCA