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Monday, 18 May 2015 06:31

First Leak Sealed On The Gran Canaria Wreck

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Leak sealing at the Oleg Naydenov wreck site south of Gran Canaria Leak sealing at the Oleg Naydenov wreck site south of Gran Canaria

The first of several leaks on the wreck of the Oleg Naydenov has now been sealed with a steel cofferdam, according to the Spanish authorities. Efforts to seal the remaining fuel leaks are ongoing. 

While the wreck is still losing fuel, it's encouraging that the technology and expertise exist to seal leaks at depths of 2,700 metres. The complex work is being done by ROV submarines operated by Norwegian firm OTECH Marine Services

Weather conditions at the wreck site are currently challenging with 35 knot winds and waves up to 3.5 metres. 

Once the leaks on the Oleg Naydenov are completely sealed, the next stage of the operation will be to extract the remaining fuel from its tanks to prevent any future pollution. AS yet here is no timeline established for this procedure.

Concerns of oil from the wreck causing large-scale pollution in Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands have abated. The escaped fuel oil, while still an environmental hazard, is drifting south away from the islands. Nonetheless, the waters between the wreck, 15 nautical miles south of Gran Canaria, and the island are being monitored daily by ship and from the air. 

Source: Canarias 7

Read 6810 times Last modified on Monday, 18 May 2015 07:05
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