Rena wreck: Weather threatens salvage operation

Salvors working on board the stricken Rena face more bad weather as they continue to pump off fuel oil.

After settled weather over the weekend, forecasts for later today are for swells and higher waves that will hamper the salvage operation and even threaten the ship's breakup.

In latest developments:

• Oil leakage stops, a further 21 tonnes pumped at the weekend

• Salvage costs of removing oil rise to $3.5 million

• Minister supports doubling of Maritime Transport Act liability insurance cap to $24 million

Maritime New Zealand says pumping of oil will be slow, as the substance is extremely viscous, but it appears no more oil is coming out. Salvors have identified 770 tonnes in the No 5 port tank and two large settling tanks handy to the engine room. They are less sure about the No 5 starboard tank, which is under water but doesn’t appear ruptured, MNZ says.

Removing it requires a “hot tap” that will be drilled through several layers, closing the valve and extracting the oil. Official estimates say 1000 tonnes have been confirmed and another 360 tonnes that can’t be confirmed.

About 350 tonnes appears to have been spilled but may still be in the vessel duct keel and holds.

MNZ says the Rena is sitting precariously on the reef and the only thing holding it in place is the buoyancy of air in the engine room. The ship has 7000 tonnes of “ground reaction” (pressure) on the reef and a good swell would give 600 tonnes of lift.

No new containers spilled
The container situation is unchanged from Friday: 1368 are on board, 88 are in the water, 20 have come ashore and 34 have been tracked.

The beach cleanup will continue today, though no new oil is being washed ashore. The main beach at Mount Mauganui has been reopened up to Moturiki Island (Leisure Island).

The wildlife emergency centre reports it is treating 180 birds and three seals. The total birdlife toll is 1250 dead.

Transpoirt Ministyer Steven Joyce, speaking on TV One’s Q&A programmes, said the cost of the oil response so far was around $3.5 million but other salvage costs, which are borne by the ship’s owners, were unknown.

He said the government would consider ratifying an updated international maritime agreement that had more than doubled the liability cap from $US12.1 million to $24 million.

While this had been decided in principle by the government in June 2008, it had a low priority under both Labour and National.

“We actually upgraded that priority, and I regret that I was never advised that this would have made that difference,” Mr Joyce said.

Critics' claims rejected
He rejected statements by "armchair critics," who have blamed the government for a slow response to the grounding, adding that "we have done everything we possible can in the time available.”

He said the limiting factors for oil removal was the state of the fuel pipes on the ship and its location of the on the reef.

This meant having to rebuild a piping system so pumping can continue.

“If they had gone in there, as has been recommended by many of editorialisors on this issue… and opened the valves, they would have been pouring oil into the water,” Mr Joyce said.