Coal carrier finally in safe waters after ‘complex’ operation

By KYM AGIUS
April 13, 2010 – 9:35AM Maritime authorities have pulled off an incredibly complex salvage operation without spilling any more oil into Great Barrier Reef waters. Nine days after the coal carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoal off Rockhampton it’s been refloated, and is now anchored in safe waters. Maritime Safety Queensland said fly-overs at first light this morning showed no more oil had leaked from the ship during the refloating operation at high tide last night. Up to four tonnes of fuel oil leaked after the grounding on April 3. Authorities later pumped most of the remaining 975 tonnes of oil off ahead of Monday’s refloating. MSQ said three tug boats had towed the ship, still laden with 65,000 tonnes of coal, to safe anchorage, five nautical miles northeast of Great Keppel Island. …