"Off-Sea" Recovery

"Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com" (exage03040)
07/24/2020 at 17:01 • Filed to: #SHIPLOPNIK, shippositelock, boatlopnik, recovery

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Chemical tanker Blue Star ran aground at around 2230 UTC Nov 22, 2019 on a coast in Ares area, just north of La Coruna, Spain. The tanker was moving from La Coruna anchorage to Ferrol, to load a cargo of chemicals, but loss of control occured after an engine room fire and subsequent electrical blackout resulting in the loss of propulsion severely effecting vessel control. The vessel ran aground in reportedly bad weather.

Local salvage refloat efforts were unsuccessful in the immediate following days after the incident. Smit was contracted to head up the operation as a result.

The Blue Star’s cargo tanks were empty at the time of the grounding, but she had about 110 tons of fuel oil and a combined 14 tons of oily waste, lubricating oil and other fluids on board. The task of pumping out her fuel and slops tanks was completed on the evening of December 2, paving the way for a refloat attempt.

14 out of her 18 ballast tanks were breached, along with her slops tank. Smit’s team sealed off the vessel’s cargo tanks so as to preserve buoyancy in the event of further damage occurred during the refloat.

Prior to the refloat, salvors used compressed air to evacuate the Blue Star’s ballast tanks. Two anchor handlers from Boskalis, the Union Princess and Boka Pegasus , were contracted to remove her with a combined 460+ tonnes of bollard pull.

On December 10 the Blue Star was successfully refloated without incident and towed to Ferrol for investigation and assessment.

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Considerations

Unlike the Exxon Valdes and it’s infamous oil spill, modern oil and chemical tankers feature a double hull. Think of it as a box in a box, similar to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

Most cargo vessels employ this type of design with regards to vessel safety. The space between the outer hull and the the cargo tanks on a tanker is typically composed of empty void spaces or ballast tanks that are filled with sea water to displace the vessel and improve stability when the vessel is not carrying cargo. This ballast condition was what the Blue Star was in during grounding.

The engine room is the most likely place to have a fire onboard a vessel. It’s a hot environment with a significant amount of air pumped into the space, huge amount of ignition sources, and an abundance of storage and works dedicated to pumping and processing various oils and fuels. Some of the more serious engine room fires occur with: scavenge space (2 stroke diesel engine air inlet space), engine exhaust stack, engine economizer (engine exhaust heat steam generating boiler), steam boiler explosion and fires, engine crankcase explosions, and other fuel or oil fed equipment that experiences a catastrophic failure.

DISCUSSION (14)

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 17:29

“ 14 out of her 18 ballast tanks were breached, along with her slops tank”

I’d like to breach her slops tank, if ya know what I mean!

ClassicDatsunDebate > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 17:30

Cool stuff. Working with the blue water barges on the west coast , this stuff is interesting to me.

Also, TIL that one who salvages is a salvo r....not a salvager .

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
07/24/2020 at 17:35

Giggity! S he’s got that fiery temper though, so keep that lifeboat ready to launch .

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > ClassicDatsunDebate
07/24/2020 at 17:45

Salvage and recovery operations are some of the most interesting in terms of engineering problem solving and execution. A decent short video.

I’d like to find what took out the engine room though. We have quite a few systems down below these days to fight said fire.

Gone > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 18:27

Salvage stories are always interes ting, surface or subsea. AHTSs are very cool in their own right, have some experience with them .

Boskalis has nu merous vessels includ ing the Vanguard which is one of those ballasting lift vessels . They are involved with virtually everything subsea. Late last year/e arlier this year (COVID has ruined my sense of tim e) they picked up the CBT2400 from SMD, w hich is a giant burial tractor. Teething issues early but seem to be good now. Who doesn’t like giant subsea 2400hp tracked vehicles?

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Gone
07/24/2020 at 18:47

I was actually considering doing up an info and discussion for Cable Laying Ops this week . Either general and or when the Maersk Connector grounded a few years ago. I found SMIT recently posted the video above so I went with this.

I find stuff like that fascinating but not really discussed even within the greater part of the industry, unless you serve on those vessels. Like much of the industry it’s sort of hushed requiring more of a deep dive and info stitching unless experienced and thus knowledgeable.

That’s really cool though! Where were you sailing with AHTS if you don’t mind my enquiry?

ttyymmnn > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 19:13

Thank god the front didn’t fall off .

facw > ttyymmnn
07/24/2020 at 19:43

Still, tow that shit outside the environment now!

Gone > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 20:49

You should. Cable lay (pipe lay as well) is a very interesting part of the subsea world. With the rise in green energy, there’s a huge market for offshore wind cable lay in addition to the usual long umbilical lay for O&G wells. Also, the obvious internet/comms line lay (and the crazy black ops/tapping stuff), which is very specialized.

Never sailed with an ATHS. Been on some, among many other types of vessels - construction, light intervention, pipe/cable lay, heavy lift, platforms, etc. Do a variety of engineering solutions mostly in O&G, but sometimes not - subsea salvage, other specialty work. Try hard to keep my anonymity, but worked on a project w/novel approach to using multiple AHTS to do subsea lifts. Have to learn a lot of background/deep dive w/vessels and ops, how specific equipment works, etc as part of my job. Interesting work but can’t (or won’t) talk about much in detail - it’s a small world, relatively speaking. We do tend to keep quiet about it like you said lol.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Gone
07/24/2020 at 21:53

I’ll give it a whirl. I’m trying to find the correct balance of video lengths, pictures and the wall of text I love to write on subjects. End goal being informative and hopefully interesting pieces, yet not so overly dictatorial and time consuming which is less engaging or even discouraging to members .

I completely respect that. I know that certain positions leave little in the way of active discussion considering sensitive information and knowledge. Both in terms of non-disclosure agreements and personal choice.

I’ve found it’s definitely an industry of many bubbles in a balloon so I’ll always be inquisitorial to anyone that may have more specified knowledge and likewise share what I can. Questions, quips and discord welcome by everyone at the bottom of my publishing . I appreciate what you’ve shared and I encourage and support any and everyone with knowledge to jump in the comments regarding clarification and correction.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/24/2020 at 23:13

Kinja'd!!!

always wonder if they’ll ever get blue gold off the beach.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
07/25/2020 at 00:01

Hmmmm, from my very brief look it seems like they’ve tried a couple times but no luck. May need a high tide with decent swells and a good pull . Might be a bit dicey with the reef if it acts as a can opener.

Amazing, and sort of sad it’s right at that village though.

Gone > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/25/2020 at 19:25

I nerd out on this stuff, so I’m not the one t o talk to about balance an d for mat lol ... Not sure if you’re looking at the vessel/ ops side or the kit or even software side... Makai (absolute go to based on my exp, IMO) has some papers and vids online. ..

I always try to pipe in when I can w/offshore stuff, so if you go through with it may add some info. :)

And thanks for the initial, always appreciate the time and effort it takes. Enjoy reading them.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Gone
07/25/2020 at 21:50

It’s tough, we all have our passions and want to share them but not everyone likes the same cup of tea or even tea in general.

I’m engrossed with hardware. I’m engineering so all my knowledge is downstairs machinery with a concentration towards vessel engine room management (operation and problem diagnosing/solving ), I’m a decent wrench, less so on electrical, zip on electronics which is usually contracted out.

Oh cool, I’ll take a look them and see what I can learn! Thanks!