ULTRA GALAXY

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Tender for wreck removal closed

Monitoring of the 'Ultra Galaxy' continued, with salvors to be appointed after assessing tenders from insurers and experts. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed that the tender period for the removal of the wreck had recently been closed with the vessel owner’s insurers, P&I and salvage experts now engaged with the assessment of the tenders received. Once done, the preferred options will be presented to SAMSA for consideration, Regarding the wreck, the situation has remained the same with no significant change in the ship or its position. In terms of clean up of the oil spill, the response teams remained on the beaches with a huge team to ensure that any, and all debris or oily recharge – even as very minor at this stage – is picked up.

All oil presumed lost

The removal of all remaining oil and fuel onboard the 'Ultra Galaxy' with the assistance of the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) iwas no longer feasible. The salvage effort now focused on the removal of the wreck. The P&I Club issued issued a temder. and there was keen interest both locally and abroad. This was consistent with the authority’s directive to the vessel owners to have the wreck removed from the South African west coast on the Atlantic Ocean. Following extensive assessments conducted over the past few days, it has been confirmed that the MV Ultra Galaxy has completely broken up due to the severe weather conditions experienced- Over 500 tons of oil and fuel, as well as the fertiliser cargo, has been lost, thanks to the stormy weather and sea conditions. Much of the oil has spread out along the nearby beach where it was being collected. With respect to the type of oil and fuel on board the ship when she went aground, in addition to low amounts of hydraulic and related oils the vessel had 332 tons of VLSFO (low sulphur) and 180 tons of MGO in her tanks as bunker fuel. Before she started breaking up salvors were able to remove eight tonnes of bunkering marine gas oil from the wreck. On Aug 23 the SAMSA said that given the extent of the damage, the likelihood of any intact fuel tanks remaining on the vessel was highly unlikely. Inspections conducted by foot, drone, and helicopter on Aug 21 indicated that the oil on the mining beaches has been cleaned and that there is no visible oil slick or contamination along the beaches, extending as far down as the Olifants River mouth and 5km north of the wreck. The cleanup crews remained on high alert and were on-site in full force, with any resurgence of oil only being sighted on the beaches immediately in front of the vessel. Despite the successful cleanup of all oil that was deposited onto the beach on Aug 19, the cleanup teams will remain on-site for at least the next two storm cycles as a precautionary measure. Report with photos: http://africaports.co.za/#8885

Oil leaking from wreck, which further broke up

Bad weather continues to hamper salvage work at the 'Ultra Galaxy', and oil iwa leaking from the wreck, which has split in two and capsized further. Large parts are now underwater. Aeerial inspections were conducted onAuig 18 and 19 and revealed oil in the surrounding waters, accompanied by a strong odour, indicating leaks. However the oil that has escaped was drifting within the predicted drift patterns and was washing up onto the immediate beaches, as predicted..It has already reached some beaches. The SAMSA was coordinating with the local authorities to manage the environmental impact of the spill. Additional volunteers were being drafted in to help clean up the spill. Cleanup operations were in full swing, with 170 people currently involved in the cleanup effort. This number is set to increase to at least 200 by Aug 20 to address the immediate need for enhanced cleanup operations. Additional pollution patrols were to be conducted along the length of the adjoining beaches, to ensure that no oil was drifting outside of the predicted area. Weather conditions were continued to be monitored closely to determine the most efficient, most suitable and safest course of action. Report with photos:; https://blog.samsa.org.za/2024/08/20/grounded-vessel-on-south-africas-west-coast-tears-further-into-pieces-as-wintry-stormy-weather-continues-to-wreck-it-samsa/