Shippingtelegraph: Specialist team boards stricken tanker off Oman as salvage vessels underway

Published by shippingtelegraph

A major salvage operation has been launched to mitigate the potential environmental impacts of a grounded vessel near the Al Hallaniyat Islands.

Risk and response management firm Ambrey said on Thursday it has been mobilised as part of a significant international response including salvage vessels, aircraft and an experienced team of specialist personnel with over 100 tons of equipment.

Ambrey confirmed that it has been engaged in the salvage of the stricken tanker Caroline Bezengi located off the Omani coast in the vicinity of the Hallaniyat Islands in the Dhofar Governorate.

Salvage vessels to support the operation are en route and will be on scene shortly. Specialist personnel have already boarded the vessel with the support of the Royal Air Force of Oman to assess conditions onboard and commence cargo and vessel stabilisation.

Ambrey said it was working with all relevant stakeholders, including within the Sultanate of Oman, and has contracted the support of a “leading international oil spill response company.” 

This response is being conducted within “Khareef” – the annual monsoon that affects the Dhofar region, the company said, adding that this creates an extremely challenging offshore environment, with extreme adverse weather and sea conditions influencing vessel stability, safety and the pace of operations as well as access to the site.

The vessel, which has been disabled since June, is a 159,168-dwt crude oil tanker built in 2001. The cause of the incident has not been reported.

Ed Wollaston, director of global response at Ambrey, commented: “This is an extremely challenging situation, compounded by adverse weather conditions associated with the Khareef monsoon. However, we have deployed the leading experts in each aspect of the response and have mobilised the appropriate supporting equipment, aircraft and vessels. We are working around the clock to mitigate the environmental impact of the situation. Ambrey is grateful for the support of the Omani state, including The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the Environment Authority and the RAFO, which continues to be outstanding. We will provide further updates in due course.”

Omani authorities said earlier this week that all specialised technical teams continue to monitor developments and implement the necessary measures with the aim of mitigating any potential impacts on the marine environment and the safety of navigation.

The Omani ministry of transport, communications and information technology and the environment authority stated that the relevant authorities also continue to monitor the situation through satellite imagery, field survey results, and technical models to track developments and assess any potential environmental impacts.

The authorities urged the public to obtain information from official sources and refrain from circulating or publishing unverified information.