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New Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Oil extraction from sunken MSC Elsa 3 hits dead end as shipping firm drops salvage contractor
KOCHI: The efforts to extract oil from the bunkers of MSC Elsa 3, which sunk into the depths of Arabian Sea around 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally harbour in Alappuzha has hit rock bottom as the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has ended the contract with T and T Salvage, a global leader in marine salvage and wreck removal. According to the Mercantile Marine Department, the ship owners have said that T and T Salvage was removed as they lacked expertise in removing the oil and wreck from the ship which is at a depth of 54 m from sea surface. The move of the shipping firm has raised doubts about their intention as T and T had brought expert divers from Singapore and South Africa for oil extraction and the team had successfully sealed the leaks in the oil bunker pipeline. The Director General of Shipping had issued a notice to the shipping firm on June 10 setting a 48-hour deadline for oil extraction. The diving team had completed capping and plugging of the fuel oil tanks of the sunken vessel Elsa 3 aided by diving support vessel SEAMAC III on June 12. The diving support vessel had returned to Kochi for installation of saturation diving system to aid the diving operations. The T and T Salvage had said that the shipment had arrived and were under customs ship owner had sought extension of time to start oil extraction citing adverse weather conditions. They had informed the DG Shipping that it was difficult to extract oil from the vessel due to monsoon turbulence. They had said that the hot tapping of oil from the bunker was a complex operation and the limited weather windows made it a challenging task. The agency has said that it is not practical to remove the oil from the sunken vessel due to adverse weather conditions. They are in search of a new salvage agency and have promised to start the operations once the weather improves. The U-turn of the firm has caused concern that the oil extraction and removal of ship wreck may be delayed inordinately.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Oil extraction from MSC Elsa 3 to take more time due to monsoon: DGS
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on Wednesday said that due to the prevailing peak monsoon conditions and associated operational risks, it will take more time to extract oil from the Liberian-flagged ship that sank off the Kerala coast last month. The DGS said the present weather conditions provide only a 'narrow and fragmented working window,' which is unsuitable for 'stable and safe' oil extraction efforts. 'Further delay would provide a more reliable window to safely conduct hot tapping and oil recovery,' it said. It further said that the vessel Nand Saarthi -- from where saturation diving operations for oil extraction were to be conducted -- remains at the Kochi port due to prevailing adverse sea conditions. 'Upon improvement in weather, it will sail to the wreck site. Oil recovery equipment on board Nand Saarthi is to be transferred to Canara Megh for the next phase. All accessories and gases remain available and are being held for deployment once the new contractor takes over,' the DGS said. It further said that the SEAMAC III vessel, from which the divers were working to plug the oil leaks in the sunken ship, has been demobilised and was proceeding to Mumbai as all the leaks have been plugged. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted aerial sorties using Dornier aircraft equipped with Pollution Surveillance Systems (PSS) to look for any oil slicks, the DGS said. 'No oil slick has been observed approximately 60 nautical miles from the wreck site. Additional sorties are planned to continue monitoring the situation,' it added. Besides that, satellite imagery from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is awaited to confirm whether there were any shoreline and offshore oil traces. Therefore, at present, the salvage operations are in a standby/caretaking phase till the new contractor takes over, it said. Regarding the clean-up operations, the DGS said that handling and disposal of plastic nurdles, which floated to the shores from the ship remains a concern. 'The Customs authorities have requested treating the recovered nurdles as bonded cargo. Approximately 65-75 tonnes is now stored shore-side, awaiting a final disposal decision,' the DGS said.
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Oil extraction from MSC Elsa 3 to take more time due to monsoon season: DGS
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on Wednesday said that due to the prevailing peak monsoon conditions and associated operational risks, it will take more time to extract oil from the Liberian-flagged ship that sank off the Kerala coast last month. The DGS said that the present weather conditions provide only a "narrow and fragmented working window", which is unsuitable for "stable and safe" oil extraction efforts. "Further delay would provide a more reliable window to safely conduct hot tapping and oil recovery," it said. It further said that the vessel Nand Saarthi -- from where saturation diving operations for oil extraction were to be conducted -- remains at Kochi port due to prevailing adverse sea conditions. "Upon improvement in weather, it will sail to the wreck site. Oil recovery equipment onboard Nand Saarthi is to be transferred to Canara Megh for the next phase. All accessories and gases remain available and are being held for deployment once the new contractor takes over," the DGS said. It further said that the SEAMAC III vessel, from which the divers were working to plug the oil leaks in the sunken ship, has been demobilised and was proceeding to Mumbai as all the leaks have been plugged. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted aerial sorties using Dornier aircraft equipped with Pollution Surveillance Systems (PSS) to look for any oil slicks, the DGS said. "No oil slick has been observed approximately 60 nautical miles from the wreck site. Additional sorties are planned to continue monitoring the situation," it added. Besides that, satellite imagery from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is awaited to confirm whether there were any shoreline and offshore oil traces. Therefore, presently, the salvage operations are in a standby/caretaking phase till the new contractor takes over, it said. Regarding the clean-up operations, the DGS said that handling and disposal of plastic nurdles, which floated to the shores from the ship remains a concern. "The customs authorities have requested treating the recovered nurdles as bonded cargo. Approximately 65-75 tons are now stored shore-side, awaiting a final disposal decision," the DGS said. It further said that there was a need for a standard operating procedure for handling and disposal of the nurdles, that balances environmental safety with regulatory compliance. It said that according to the ITOPF the recovered nurdles include varying polymer grades, posing challenges to standardised disposal methods. "Onshore, the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) has continued container recovery activities at Kollam, focusing on submerged containers using divers. "Beach cleanup operations continue across Thiruvananthapuram with approximately 160 volunteers deployed," the DGS said. However, the intermittent rains have slowed down the clean-up work on some days, it added. "The air sorties and continuous coastal vigilance, in combination with onshore cleanup efforts, have been instrumental in monitoring post-wreck environmental impacts," it said. The Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 had sunk approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally coast in Kerala's Alappuzha district between May 24-25. The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence. The vessel sank with oil still trapped inside. On June 11, Kerala Police registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew. An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel--which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property--in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
All oil tanks of sunken ship plugged, no evidence of leakage: DGS report
Kochi, The Directorate General of Shipping on Friday said that capping and plugging of all identified fuel oil tanks of the Liberian-flagged ship which sank off the Kerala coast last month, has been completed and there is no evidence of oil leakage in the vicinity of the wreck. According to a situation report issued by the DGS, the oil containment measures have temporarily stabilised the situation, but full risk mitigation will happen only on successful commencement of saturation diving to extract the remaining trapped fuel oil from the vessel, MSC Elsa 3. "Delays in mobilisation of saturation diving equipment have already shifted the initial operational timelines," it said, adding that according to the salvors, hot tapping and oil extraction will take around 24 days weather permitting. The DGS said it has directed the salvors to submit two revised schedules "one optimistic, assuming good weather, and one realistic, accounting for monsoon disruptions". Besides this, the report also states that efforts to recover the Voyage Data Recorder were not yet successful and the diving operations for it will continue. The SEAMAC III vessel, from which the divers were working, has returned to Kochi for conversion to saturation diving operations and the process is expected to take three days, the report said. Regarding the clean-up process along the shoreline, it said that the Marine Emergency Response Centre has reported that 58 containers have been delivered to port with one small container piece recovered during the day and the hydraulic oil barrels have also been secured. The nurdle recovery is continuing, but is taking time as more of it is being deposited on shores due to wave action, it said, adding that a beach-cleaning vacuum unit from Bengaluru was en route for field trials. "The overall volume of nurdles recovered remains significant, requiring continued large-scale manpower engagement. The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation has recommended further increasing volunteer deployment to accelerate shoreline recovery. "Meanwhile, MERC continues to maintain daily site-wise cleanup activities across affected districts," the report said. On Thursday, authorities had given the salvors and owners of the vessel 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act will lead to civil and criminal charges. The ship had sunk approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Kerala's Alappuzha district. The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence. The vessel sank with oil still trapped inside. On June 11, Kerala Police registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew. An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking on 24-25 May near Alappuzha district.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Owners of sunken ship given 48 hours to complete extraction of oil leaking into sea
Authorities have given the salvors and owners of a vessel that sank last month off the Kerala coast 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act will lead to civil and criminal charges. The Liberian-flagged ship, MSC Elsa 3, sank approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Kerala's Alappuzha district. The notice was issued on Wednesday evening, sources said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kulkas yang belum Terjual dengan Harga Termurah (Lihat harga) Cari Sekarang Undo The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence. The vessel sank on May 24 with oil still trapped inside. Live Events In its latest update, the Directorate General of Shipping said that both state and central government agencies had issued a final notice demanding urgent action. Officials say delays in starting saturation diving--the recommended method for safely removing the oil--have seriously disrupted the operation's timeline. The Director General of Shipping stated that, given the seriousness of the environmental threat and the narrowing operational window due to the approaching monsoon, the salvors and shipowners have now been given a final ultimatum to begin and complete the oil extraction within the next 48 hours. "Failure to comply will result in both civil and criminal liability being imposed under applicable Indian laws, and legal proceedings will be initiated before the competent courts without further notice," it said. Although divers have managed to seal several leak points, minor seepage continues from one tank, raising fears of a larger spill. Divers are working from the vessel SEAMAC III in round-the-clock shifts, but worsening weather due to the incoming monsoon is putting pressure on teams to complete the task swiftly. The dive team has been expanded to speed up the work, and more equipment is being moved in. Officials say completing the sealing and quickly transitioning to oil extraction is now urgent, before rough seas make further diving impossible. "Divers successfully sealed multiple bunker vents and surrounding pipes that were contributing to oil seepage, with no active overflow currently observed. Continuous monitoring is underway for minor seepage detected from the sounding pipe of Fuel Oil Tank No 22," the DG shipping said. "Sounding pipe leaks have been contained using layered sealing (plastic and polyester materials), and an additional loosened cap was tightened and secured to halt minor leakage. Centre Tank No 24 has been confirmed secure; precautionary sealing will be undertaken to eliminate any residual risk," it said. On land, most containers that drifted ashore after the incident have been recovered. Drone surveys are still under way to identify any remaining debris. Cleanup teams and volunteers have collected over 2,500 kilograms of plastic pellets, or nurdles, daily along beaches in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and Thiruvananthapuram. Authorities are arranging temporary storage and final disposal of the recovered nurdles, with help from pollution experts and customs officials. A beach-cleaning vacuum system is being tested and may be deployed soon. Meanwhile, Kerala Police have registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew. An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel--which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property--in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking on 24-25 May near Alappuzha district.
