Authorities have evacuated all the remaining crew on the Rena as weather conditions deteriorates. Four meter swells and 25 knot winds made conditions too dangerous for the crew to stay aboard. Officials have also revised reports on the amount of oil that has been released. Early estimates had 30 to 100 tons of oil being released due to a storage tank bursting. New estimates place the amount of oil released closer to 350 tons. Also, the rate of oil being released has increased. The increase could have been caused by the vessel shifting on the reef or by the heavy swells causing more damage to the hull.
The 80 meter long tanker Awanuia suffered damage during pumping operations with the aground container ship Rena off Tauranga, New Zealand. The Awanuia suffered minor damage to its foc’sle and returned to Tauranga for repairs. No reports of injuries or any pollution being released. Authorities have stated the pumping operations were being halted anyways due to the approaching bad weather.
More oil was released from the Rena after the vessel shifted. The container ship had been at a 11 degree list when it hit the reef sitting on top of a rock pinnacle. Part of the rock pinnacle gave way allowing the Rena to shift to a more level six degree list. However, this allowed oil trapped in the vessel’s hull to escape into the sea. Reports state oil has washed ashore from Mount Maunganui to Girven Road at Tauranga and along the southern section of Matankana Island. Officials have begun placing warning signs on the beach and asked residents to stay away from the water. The oil has washed up on the beach in clumps roughly 5mm in height. More oil will be washing ashore near Papamoa and Maketu. Oil should also be expected to be pulled into Tauranga harbour by the area’s strong currents.
Authorities state they will begin cleanup efforts after the oil accumulates on the beach as there isn’t the resources to collected as it comes ashore. There are 10 trained teams, roughly 100 people, are ready to carry out beach cleanup efforts.
Salvage
Oil has been moved from one of the forward tanks on the port side to a tank in the stern of the vessel
10 metric tons of oil has been offloaded
Prior Inspection of the Rena
The Rena was visited at Bluff on 28 September 2011 by a Maritime New Zealand Safety Inspector. This was a “follow-up” visit to clear deficiencies issued to the ship by a Port State Control inspection undertaken in China on 5 July 2011.
There were 18 deficiencies issued against the ship in the Chinese inspection. Twelve of these deficiencies were “rectify before departure” which means they must be fixed before the ship leaves the port. The other six deficiencies were less serious and to be rectified within 14 days, which means they needed to be rectified before 19 July 2011.
The “chart” deficiency noted by Chinese inspectors referred to a correction to Chart 4123 – a China South Coast Chart – and is not relevant to the current situation. The Chinese PSCO (Port State Control Officer) did not return to the ship to clear the deficiencies before the ship departed, but the ship signalled that the deficiencies had been rectified.
A subsequent Port State Control inspection in Fremantle WA on 21 July 2011 raised additional deficiencies and the vessel was detained. (Seventeen deficiencies were raised at this time.) On 22 July 2011, a follow-up inspection at Fremantle cleared 15 deficiencies raised the previous day. A further follow-up inspection at Port Botany NSW on 22 September 2011 cleared a further deficiency issued at the Fremantle inspection.
None of the deficiencies raised by the Chinese inspection conducted on 5 July 2011 were removed from a database which records deficiencies. According to the master of Rena, they had been checked. An MNZ Maritime Safety Inspector attended the vessel to check why the deficiencies had not been signed off. The inspector did not conduct an inspection of the vessel.
One deficiency remained against the ship after the MNZ visit, with a three-month action date. This deficiency was being actioned, as the vessel was to have a survey/audit in Singapore. This deficiency related to how the vessel implemented the International Safety Management system which is an international process on ship operations and systems. This was not sufficient to warrant detention of the vessel.
