Fuel Removed from Oleg Naydenov, Leaks Sealed

The fuel removal operation from the sunken Russian trawler Oleg Naydenov has been completed and the wreck has been officially sealed, Spanish Salvamento Maritimo informed.

The ship sank some 15 miles off Punta Maspalomas, the Canary Islands, on April 14th after a fire that was burning for days spread throughout the vessel.

The trawler sank with around with 1,409 tons of fuel inside the tanks to a depth of 2,400 meters. The subsequent inspection of the wreck found that several leaks had sprung from the vents, hatches and cracks in the plate sending oil sludge to local beaches.

Ardent, the recent merger of Titan and Svitzer Salvage, and Spanish-based salvage company Ardentia Marine, were awarded the contract to remove oil from the vessel in close coordination with La Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima (SASEMAR).

During the operation, oil receiving tanks were submerged to collect oil from the sunken vessel and hoisted to the surface as they filled up.

In addition, subsea recovery domes were installed over areas where leaks had been detected in order to further contain any potential environmental pollution.

The operation was supported by a full salvage team, the use of remote operated vessels (ROV) and heavy lifting equipment from the surface.

When the extraction was completed, the leaks were sealed by mechanical and chemical means. As informed, a total of 528 m3 of oily waste was collected.

Following the completion of the work, the Technical Committee has terminated the status of emergency, but has entrusted the coastguard with monitoring activities, via both underwater and aerial means.

World Maritime News Staff