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Operation begins to offload oil to free barge
By SUZETTE PORTER
Article published on Friday, April 4, 2008 |
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![[Image]](/content_images/040408_fpg-01.jpg) |
| Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard |
| Tugs work to free a barge stuck on a sandbar near Egmont Key. |
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ST. PETERSBURG – Work was continuing Friday afternoon to free an oil barge stuck on a sandbar near Egmont Key.
A third attempt to free the barge at high tide Thursday night was unsuccessful. An operation to offload 20,000 barrels of oil was scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon.
According to a report from the Coast Guard, the 138-foot tug Yankee, owned by K-Sea Operating Partnership LP, was transporting a 441-foot barge from Houston to Tampa when it ran aground on a sand bar about 5:45 p.m. on April 2.
The double-hulled barge is carrying 119,000 barrels fuel oil.
Crewmembers aboard a tug and barge from Bouchard Transportation Company, based in New York, will help transfer more than 20,000 barrels of fuel oil from the grounded barge in an effort to lessen the grounded barge's weight, according to Coast Guard officials.
Mike Hansen, spokesman for K-Sea, said Friday that the plan called for about one-sixth of the oil to be offloaded to lighten the barge allowing it to float higher in the water. He said the process would be done essentially the same as it would be done if the barge was at the power plant where it was bound before it ran aground – except it will be done at sea.
The empty barge will pull alongside the loaded barge. Both barges are equipped with pumps and hoses that will be used to transfer the oil. The whole operation is expected to take about four hours.
Hansen said every safety precaution would be taken to prevent spills.
“These guys are very experienced,” he said.
Hansen said after the oil was offloaded a decision would be made by the experts in the field on whether or not to try to free the barge immediately or to wait for high tide, around 10 p.m.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Robert Simpson said if attempts to move the barge failed at 10 p.m., further attempts probably would be delayed until Saturday morning due to the lights that would be needed. He said because the barge was located close to the shipping channel it was important that the operation not hamper or confuse ship traffic during the night.
Simpson said before the offloading started, the Coast Guard would implement a safety zone, and the area would be “boomed” as a precaution against any possible oil spill.
Hansen said the safety zone was primarily needed to keep ships away from the scene so their wake didn’t impact the offloading process.
Simpson said thus far no signs of leaking had been detected. He also said that the sand bar where the barge went aground was not in a protected area, so there had been no environmental impact.
When the barge and tug are freed, they will be moved to an anchorage area where they can be inspected by divers.
“Divers will thoroughly inspect the hull to make sure it’s fully intact,” Simpson said.
Because the barge is currently sitting on the bottom, Simpson said it was impossible to tell the extent of any damage to the hull.
“But it has a double-plated hull,” he said. “Chances are it will be OK. There have been no signs of any leaking.”
Simpson said the investigation was ongoing as to why the barge had moved out of the shipping channel and run aground. Alcohol testing was performed on the Yankee crewmembers and drug testing is being conducted.
No injuries were reported.
Hansen said K-Sea had been operating in the area for at least 10 years and transports barges through the local shipping channels about two times a week.
Egmont Key is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, southwest of Fort DeSoto Beach.
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Article published on Friday, April 4, 2008
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