The UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency recovered one of the 17 ton hatch covers. The Dutch Emergency Towing Vessel 'Waker', operated by Svitzer Salvage, then located the second missing hatchcover in Dutch waters. The tug succeeded in towing the hatch cover into IJmuiden, where it was recovered.

Operations also continued last month to remove pollutants from the ferry 'Don Pedro', which sank off Ibiza on 11 July. Svitzer Salvage mobilised a diving team and oil recovery equipment to remove bunkers and prevent pollution, with the team supported by the salvage vessel 'Buffel'.

The ferry came to rest in 45m of water, lying on its side. There was some initial loss of oil from the vessel and a threat of pollution was most unwelcome during the holiday season. As a result, this case had a relatively high political profile.

Working in close association with Sea Salvage, Svitzer Salvage’s Spanish partners, the project team worked on behalf of the owner’s P&I Club to survey the vessel, seal leakages and then remove the oil.

In the event, the team recovered 150 tons of marine diesel and lubes. Divers used a hot-tap system to penetrate tanks for the oil removal. They completed their work in the third week of September, having overcome various difficulties. The depth of the wreck was at the very edge of air diving range and the subsea work proceeded under a strict safety regime, backed by the use of decompression chambers.

Other recent salvage activities include two cases in Chinese waters, with Svitzer Salvage providing consultancy services for operations concerning a container vessel and a dredger. In Africa, Svitzer Salvage refloated a container vessel at Tema in Ghana. In the European region, the busy workload included the parbuckling of a capsized vehicle carrier at Antwerp.

One of the most significant mid-year operations began in early June, when Svitzer Salvage was awarded a Lloyd's Form to assist the grounded bulk carrier Pasha Bulker off Newcastle, Australia. This 225m LOA, 2006 built vessel was in ballast when it grounded in extreme weather at a position north of Sydney. Personnel and equipment were mobilised from locations in Australia and bases in Singapore and The Netherlands. The preparations for refloating took a month and included the removal of pollutants.

The refloating was a two-stage operation. It began when Pasha Bulker’s bow was turned seawards and refloated. The vessel’s centre of gravity was then shifted forward, to lift the stern and complete the refloating.