New Zealand: Svitzer Salvors Made Progress in Removing Containers from Rena

Svitzer salvors have made good progress in removing containers and cargo from Rena throughout the week.

Dive operations to remove smaller pieces of debris and cargo have been undertaken. Divers are cutting into parts of the submerged stern section to gain access to containers for removal.

There are currently moderate to strong winds and swells of between 2-3m at the Astrolabe Reef. The weather conditions are forecast to ease over the weekend.

Container and debris recovery

The Braemar recovery team is investigating reports of debris washing ashore on Great Barrier Island.

The team will fly over the island as soon as weather conditions are favourable to assess the situation.

Braemar NZ Operations Manager Neil Lloyd says that staff will respond accordingly, deploying a fast response craft and clean up teams to deal with the matter.

Meanwhile, clean up operations on the Coromandel are continuing. Methods for collecting plastic beads have been finalised and will be into action next week, as the weather improves.

On Matakana Island, debris has been collected and stockpiled ready to be heli-lifted for disposal. The air lift is scheduled for next week, along with further efforts to clean up plastic beads from island beaches.

With the latest recovery efforts, the total number of containers received ashore from Rena is 762 – this is made up of 661 removed from the decks and holds of Rena, and another 101 retrieved from the extended area around the wreck, and the shoreline.

This week alone, the Braemar/Unimar recovery team has recovered the wreckage of more than 30 containers – including container sections and some cargo.

A further 40 containers are in pinpointed locations yet to be recovered and sonar surveys are continuing over a wide area.

Oil spill response

Surveys by oil spill response personnel of areas previously affected by oil have continued this week.

Small amounts of residual oil have been observed in some areas between Mount Maunganui and Papamoa. These have not required clean-up operations but the sites will continue to be monitored by survey teams.

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Source: Maritime NZ, April 27, 2012