The salvors have moved oil from one of the forward (port) tanks into a more secure tank at the back of the vessel. The salvors are extracting volatile gasses from the tank so they can get an operator in to manually put the pumps into the tank. Because there is a platform in the way inside the tank we cannot lower the pump directly into the tank. As soon as it is safe to go into the tank we will have people in there equipped with breathing apparatus. With the help of the Air Force, more crew coming for the Awanuia were flown from Auckland to continue the oil retrieval operation. About 36 salvors and crew are on board. There are no obvious signs of deformation of the vessel. The Awanuia attempted several time to connect but the weather conditions prevented this. Inspections of MV 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. More at www.maritimenz.go...

EMAS, a leading global offshore contractor and provider of integrated offshore solutions to the oil and gas (O&G) industry, has announced that Lewek EMAS, the floating production, storage and offloading ("FPSO") for Vietnam's high-profile Chim Sao oil project, has successfully achieved first oil on 10 October 2011. The vessel is EMAS Production's latest and largest FPSO vessel. This milestone marks the commencement of the vessel's US$1 billion charter contract with Premier Oil Vietnam Offshore B.V. ("Premier"). www.marketwatch.c...

Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. has discovered another shipwrecked British vessel loaded with a shipment of silver, only 100 miles from a recent discovery confirmed last month. Odyssey, which has made a name for itself finding sunken treasure using hi-tech deep-water equipment, said its newest discovery is the SS Mantola, which sank Feb. 9, 1917, after being torpedoed by a German submarine. The company estimates about 600,000 ounces of silver could be on board the ship. Under a salvage agreement with the U.K. government, Odyssey will be able to keep 80% of the cargo. More at www.marketwatch.c...

Emergency crews called off the search for the 57-year-old Polish captain of a cargo ship that sunk off Haugesund Friday night. Two other crew members were rescued after being picked up from the sea north of the Ramsholm islands. All three men on board the 48-meter-long vessel Finnøyglimt were from Poland, while the vessel was owned by the shipowning company Ryfylke Shipping. The vessel was normally used to carry gravel. The cause of the accident remained unclear. Emergency crews received a report around 11:30pm Friday that the vessel was having problems in open sea between Slettå and Ramsholmene. The captain reported a several list and contact was lost just 10 minutes later. The sinking “must have occurred extremely quickly,” Johan Mannsåker, leader of the rescue effort, told news bureau NTB. The two surviving crew members managed to don survival suits and get into a life raft. The captain did not. A major search was launched involving a helicopter, dogs and search crews on land, aircraft and speedboats but they could find no sign of the captain. Officials planned to send a remote-controlled search vessel down to the wreckage on Monday. Source: www.newsinenglish...

Reports have emerged that the Rena came perilously close to hitting another oil tanker just two days before it struck Astrolabe Reef, 3News (NZ) reports. The Maritime Union says the cargo ship should never have been at sea, and it's demanding answers from both Maritime New Zealand and the Government. The Torea, a 14,000 tonne oil tanker was sitting in Wellington Harbour today, but just last week it nearly bore the brunt of the 47,000 tonne Rena. An eyewitness told Investigate magazine the Torea was travelling north off the coast of Napier on October 2, when the Rena cut it off at speed, forcing the Torea to turn full circle. Tracking software confirms the two ships were near Napier that day, but the Maritime Union says the Rena shouldn't have been at sea at all. "Charts is the main thing," says Joe Fleetwood, general secretary. "I believe that there are substandard charts and I believe the vessel run aground probably using sub-standard charts, if that." Mr Fleetwood claims that a ship inspection in Bluff late last month indicated there had also been problems with maintenance, the ship's main engine propulsion, lifeboat stowage, access and lighting. That was after inspections in China and Australia found what were described as "serious deficiencies" in July. But Maritime New Zealand claims those deficiencies were re-checked at the Bluff inspection and were no longer an issue. It says no one from the Rena or from the Torea reported the near-collision, and without a report, they can't investigate. More at www.3news.co.nz/R...

People are being warned to stay away from New Zealand's Mount Maunganui beach after oil from the stricken cargo ship Rena started washing ashore. Clumps of oil - some of the 1700 tonnes of oil known to be on board - were starting to wash up on the beach near Tauranga this morning after the vessel ran aground on the Astrolabe reef 22 kilometres offshore on Wednesday last week, leaking oil into the sea. The fist-sized "patties" of oil, about five millimetres high, were found at the midtide mark, a Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman told NZ Newswire. Advertisement: Story continues below "We are advising people to stay away from the beach for health reasons," she said. Public health officials would erect warning signs today, she said. Salvage crews are scrambling to pump oil off the ship before forecast rough weather. About 10 tonnes of oil were taken off the ship last night before threatening weather cancelled the operation. www.smh.com.au/en...

The MV Miner ran aground off Scatarie Island, a provincially designated wilderness management area, on Sept. 20. It was on its way from Montreal to Turkey, where it was supposed to be scrapped. Repeated attempts to free the ship have failed, and the Canadian Coast Guard spotted additional damage to IF A bulk carrier, grounded just off Cape Breton, breaks up, the removal and cleanup costs could add up to $24 million, the province estimates. The figure is in an affidavit attached to the warrant for the arrest of the tugboat Hellas. The tugboat was towing MV Miner, a 230- metre vessel that carried cargo in the Great Lakes, to Turkey where it was to be scrapped. But the tow line broke Sept. 20 and the Miner grounded on a shoal at Scatarie Island, off the northeastern tip of Cape Breton. The province had the tug arrested Thursday as it launched a claim in federal court against the tug’s owners to recover the potential millions in removal and cleanup costs. Duff Montgomerie, the deputy minister of natural resources, said in the affidavit that Environment Department officials have told him the cost of dealing with the Miner while it’s intact is $400,000 to $600,000 but could skyrocket to $24 million if it breaks up. The estimate was based on talks with salvage experts and federal officials, said Environment Department spokeswoman Karen White.

Fire on board of Russian seismic research vessel Akademik Lazarev started at 2240 LT Oct 9 2011, vessel was in position 70 nm NW Orlandet, Norway, Norwegian Sea, and issued a distress signal. Early morning Oct 10 Norway media reports said fire is extinguished, nobody among 30 crew and scientific staff injured. Several vessels were directed to assist, rescue helicopters were on standby, ready to start evacuation. Whether some crew and staff were evacuated, is unclear, cause of the fire and location also remain unknown.

ULUSOY-12'S DELIVERY DATE : 26 SEPT 2011

Another worker who was injured Friday in an accident inside a Singaporean shipyard in Barangay Cawag Subic Zambales which instantly killed five others died Saturday in the hospital in Olongapo city. Reports identified the latest fatality as Ronaldo Bagay who lost his leg during the accident and was rushed to a hospital in Olongapo City Friday, the death toll now total to six . Seven other workers are still in the hospital after being injured in the same accident. Subic Mayor Jeffrey Khonghun said the incident happened when a 42-ton steel scaffolding inside the shipyard of Keppel Shipyard Inc. gave way which fell on the workers working bellow.