 "Salvage team looks for rescue port for oil transfer from wrecked IOC vessel")
After averting a major environmental disaster, a salvage team is now searching for a rescue port to transfer oil from an Indian Oil Corp (IOC) chartered supertanker that had caught fire in the Sri Lankan water, the company's Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidhya said on Wednesday.
The MT New Diamond, a 20-year-old very large crude carrier (VLCC) controlled by New Shipping , was carrying around 2,70,000 tonnes of Kuwaiti crude from Mina-Al-Ahmadi to Paradip in Odisha when it caught fire in the engine room early on September 3, close to 38 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's east coast.
The fire was doused and all the entire 2 million barrels (270,000 tonnes) cargo saved.
"Actually, the cargo is safe that is the biggest thing. The engine fire was totally doused thanks to the efforts of the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy and help from the Sri Lankan Navy," he said.
The vessel is now in Sri Lankan water at about 70 nautical miles from the coast.
The salvage team, SMIT Singapore Pte Ltd, has been appointed to look at salvaging the fire-wrecked vessel.
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Vaidya said SMIT will decide on towing the vessel to a location for the transfer of crude oil to another ship for onward movement to Paradip.
"Now, the salvers, SMIT, are deciding on the refuge port, where the ship has to go," he said adding that oil from MT New Diamond will be transferred to a new vessel that will take it to IOC's Paradip refinery.
"It is a long-drawn process, it will take two months," he said.
The port, he said, will be decided by the salvage team and it need not be an Indian port.
"We have offered Indian ports also. They will take a call on the port," he said.
Eight ships from the Indian Navy, Coast Guard had averted an environmental disaster when they doused the fire on the vessel, he said adding that a major ecological disaster was in the offing if the cargo had caught fire or the oil spilled into the sea.
Of the 22 personnel on board, 21 were rescued, he said.
The coordinated fire-fighting and rescue effort helped avert a Mauritius-like disaster where a Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean Island on July 25 and began spilling oil August 6.
The MT New Diamond is owned by Proto Emporios Shipping Inc, Liberia, while the technical and commercial operator is New Shipping Ltd of Greece.
The vessel caught fire when it was at a distance of 38 nautical miles off the Sangaman Kanda Point.
The Sri Lankan Navy sought the assistance of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which immediately deployed ships Shaurya, Sarang and Sujoy and a Dorner aircraft for fire-fighting.
On September 4, the mission was also joined by Indian Navy ships, Sahyadri and Shakti, and two Sri Lankan naval vessels. The mission was augmented by two tugs, Rawana and Wasamba, from Hambantota port and Alp Winger, an anchor handling and fire-fighting tug.
The fire was completely doused by the night of September 8, he said.
Mid-way through the mission, a two-metre crack was observed near the engine room. ICG vessels Ameya and Abheek were deployed, carrying oil spill dispersant chemicals and foam.
New Diamond was first towed away from the Lankan shore and the fire was doused using a combination of foam and fire-extinguisher powder.
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