had arrived on scene (including two SMIT tugs). They connected up to Zhen Hua 10. The large salvage tug Janus, with a hefty 220 tons bollard pull, also arrived on location. She increased the total bollard pull available to 350 tons. Everything was well prepared and ready for the high water opportunity in the early hours of the morning of February 5. The vessel floated free at 01.07 hrs local and an inspection confirmed that there were no leakages. Zhen Hua 10 was safely at her berth in Europort by 08.00 hrs, well ahead of yet more bad weather. On February 5 SMIT Salvage, achieved the record when other salvage teams refloated the bulk carrier Sagarkiran, from a reef near Jeddah, and the 8,000 TEU container vessel CMA CGM Don Carlos, which had grounded in the Suez Canal. Other first quarter operations included the refloating of the 45,000 DWT tanker Ficus at Bermuda, following a grounding. The incident occurred on February 26, with the tanker laden with a cargo of jet fuel and other white oils. The casualty was freed by the tug Smit Oneida, together with local tugs.
Pollution Prevention Assignments
SMIT Salvage has a role in removing threats to the marine environment. For example, during the second quarter work began on the recovery of oily residues from the wreck of the Haven. This VLCC went down off the Italian coast in the 1980s following an explosion and fire. There is no cargo oil remaining inside the wreck's tanks. The aim of this project, carried out under a contract from the Genoa Municipal Authority, was to remove residues from a total of 158 spaces, each of which has since been checked and certified free of oil. This project will protect the area's extensive oyster and mussel beds, together with tourist beaches, from contamination due to persistent leakage. The Haven contract began in midApril. It was completed in early June, to the full satisfaction of the client. This was a saturation diving assignment, with SMIT's divers working at depths of up to 75 m. The project spread included a barge with fourpoint moorings with SMIT Salvage owned saturation diving system and support tugs. During the third quarter, SMIT is
scheduled to begin another pollutant recovery. In this case the task is to remove 300 tons of IFO from the wreck of the Ice Prince. This general cargo vessel was lost in the English Channel when her timber cargo shifted. SMIT's contract is based on remote-operated recovery, using the "ROLS" -- a system for hot-tapping tanks, with all functions controlled from the surface via ROVs. The oil recovery contract was awarded by the owner's P&I Club. Work was expected to begin in late August, with the team expecting to spend around 30 days on-scene -- depending on the weather. The project spread will include the use of a DP DSV.
Wreck Removal in UK Waters
Meanwhile, work continues on the removal of the stern section of the container vessel MSC Napoli, at a position just off the UK's Devon coast. This vessel was beached after sustaining serious damage during a violent storm in the English Channel during January of last year. SMIT Salvage removed 3,600 tons of HFO, together with all deck containers, and then discharged the holds. The vessel
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