Salvage crews are continuing with the debunkering operation on the grounded MV Stellar Banner off Brazil.
Fuel oil from the vessel is being pumped to the offshore supply vessel HOS Brass Ring, owned by Hornbeck Offshore Services, the Brazilian Navy said.
The Navy repored Thursday that so far 1,170 cubic meters of fuel oil had been pumped from Stellar Banner to HOS Brass Ring and the operation is continuing.
SBM Offshore’s Normand Installer is now also on scene assisting with the operation.
The Navy reports that the situation remains stable and no oil has been observed in the surrounding waters.
The debunkering operation is being conducted by a joint team from Ardent and SMIT.
In addition to the support vessels mentioned, there are an additional nine tugs, four emergency spill response vessels, four platform supply vessels and two offshore support vessels, in addition to at least one helicopter, four vessels from the Maranhão, a Poseidon aircraft, and two government vessels.
The MV Stellar Banner ran aground approximately 100km from coast of São Luís on February 24, 2020, as it departed Vale’s Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal with iron ore bound for China. All 20 crew members were subsequently evacuated in good condition.
The Stellar Banner is a 300,663 dwt Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) built in 2016 and registered in the Marshall Islands. It is owned and operated by Polaris Shipping of South Korea and chartered to Brazilian mining giant Vale to transport iron ore from Brazil to China.
Experts said previously that approximately 3,500 tons of fuel oil and 140 tons of gas oil remain on board the grounded the VLOC.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
President Donald Trump's administration is considering softening its proposed fee on China-linked ships visiting U.S. ports after a flood of negative feedback from industries that said the idea could be economically devastating, according to six sources.
April 9 (Reuters) – A company controlled by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison has invested $1.7 billion in two ports near the Panama Canal, it said on Wednesday, surpassing the amount required under its contract, which is...
China retaliated against new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump by announcing it would raise duties on US goods, roiling markets and deepening a trade war between the world’s largest economies.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
