ATLANTIK CONFIDENCE

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Little risk of oil spill

Oman has placed its pollution control apparatus on alert as a precaution against a possible leak of fuel oil from the "Atlantik Confidence" which had around 150 tonnes of bunker fuel on board when it went down about 149 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island on Apr 3. Omani maritime assets monitoring the surrounding waters have so far found no signs of any leak emanating from the sunken ship. The situation is being carefully monitored by a vessel of the Royal Navy of Oman. Barring a minor oil spill detected last week, it appeared that the ship’s fuel tanks remained intact for now so there appears to be no immediate concern of a wider Spill. With calm sea conditions, any fuel oil leaking to the surface would hopefully dissipate and degrade at sea. Any fuel oil rising to the surface will eventually evaporate leaving behind tar-balls that have a tendency to sink to the bottom. Consequently, the possibility of some of the tar-like residue ending up on Oman’s shores was quite small, particularly in light of the fact that the wreck was 150 nautical miles away from land.

Steel structures for the Muscat International Airport Project went down with the Atlantik Confidence

When the "Atlantik Confidence" sank on Mar 31 also a shipment of steel structures for the Muscat International Airport Project was lost. 30,000 tonnes of steel structures (around 5,000 metric tonnes by weight) destined for the multi-billion dollar airport expansion project went down, the consignment, along other steel shipments bound for other destinations in the region, was lost when the bulker sank at around 10.55 a.m. some 149 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island. An official pinpointed the position of the vessel’s sinking as Lat 20 12, 942 N / Long 061 26 02 E when a tug dispatched by Smit Salvage was underway to the site to assess the possibility of stabilising the vessel before attempting any salvage of the cargo or towing it to port. The blaze had triggered an explosion that caused a breach in the ship’s hull. The all-Turkish crew, who had taken to lifeboats, were initially rescued by the "Alpine Marie", an oil tanker transiting the area, and later transferred to the "YM Pluto". With assistance provided by Oman’s maritime authorities, a private passenger launch was dispatched from Masirah Island on Apr 2 to rendezvous with the "YM Pluto". All 21 seafarers transferred to the launch which brought them to Masirah Island. They were described as in good health when they came ashore. Of the 21 men, six left the Sultanate via Muscat International Airport later that evening, while the rest departed early on Apr 3. An official of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs said the waters around the sunken cargo ship would continue to be monitored for signs of any fuel oil or other contaminants leaking into the sea. Given the site’s distance from Omani coasts, any pollution-related threat would be minor at this juncture, he stressed. Further, with water depths estimated in excess of 3,000 metres in the area, any threat to navigation was also ruled out.

Sohar-bound cargo ship 'Atlantik Confidence' believed sunk

A fire-ravaged bulk carrier, bound for Sohar Port with a consignment of steel cargo, is believed to have sunk in international waters some 140 nautical miles off the Wusta coast. According to Omani maritime authorities, all 22 crew of MV Atlantik Confidence, a Turkish merchant vessel, are safe after they took to lifeboats and were later picked up by passing oil tanker Pluto. The Atlantik Confidence, which was found by the rescuers to be partially submerged at the time, is believed to have sunk the following day(Sunday, March 31). With water depths averaging in excess of 3,000 metres in the area, it is unlikely that the sunken wreck would pose any threat to navigation, authorities have stressed. The 196-metre-long bulk carrier was due to arrive at Port of Sohar yesterday to discharge a shipment of steel cargo.