The position of the sunken vessel in the middle of the channel at Sabine Pass resulted in closure by the US Coast Guard. This created a huge problem for traffic into and out of the oil refineries in nearby Port Arthur and generated extra pressure for a rapid and successful salvage operation.

Due to the emergency circumstances, Bisso Marine diverted the D/B Boaz from an oilfield services project to respond. The D/B Boaz and its salvage team were able to rig the crewboat and remove it from the channel to allow traffic to resume.

With the crewboat out of the channel, the Bisso team were able to salvage the vessel and return it to its owners in a floating condition despite considerable portside damage below the waterline. The entire operation was conducted without incident, with particular attention paid to the safety of the salvage team and the environment.

MJ Information No: 20746