Fuel-spill risk diminishes

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Most of the remaining fuel at risk of leaking into Bluff Harbour from the stranded bulk carrier Tai Ping will be pumped to safety today or tomorrow, allaying fears of an oil spill.

About 20 tonnes of diesel and 26 tonnes of heavy fuel oil remain in tanks below the waterline a week after the carrier ran aground on rocks in fog and was holed in three places.

Just over 300 tonnes of fuel oil has been pumped to tanks higher up in the vessel and salvors expected to remove the outstanding diesel shortly.

Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Helen Mojel said the 26 tonnes of "unpumpable" fuel oil would remain in the bottom tanks but would not pose any danger if the Tai Ping suffered more damage during refloating.

"It will just solidify and float on top of the water within the tank."

Meanwhile, salvors have calculated that about half of the bulk carrier's 9535-tonne cargo of urea fertiliser would need to be offloaded before the Tai Ping was light enough to refloat.

Ms Mojel said 2700 tonnes had been pumped onto barges and taken to shore. Watersiders were helping the mainly Chinese crew with the transfer and salvors still hoped to move the carrier off on Thursday morning.