Joint effort recovers 400 tonnes of oil from sunken ship in Singapore Strait

Norway’s Miko Marine has helped extract 400 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the tanks of the sunken general cargo vessel Thorco Cloud in the Singapore Strait.

The wreck lies in two sections 1,730 metres apart and 70 metres down in the eastbound traffic lane of the Singapore Strait following a December 2015 collision.

Using its Moskito hot tap tool and oil recovery system to capture heavy oil trapped in 12 fuel tanks and compartments, Miko Marine worked with Jaya Salvage Indonesia, owner Marship and insurance firm Standard Club on the project.

Bumi Subsea provided remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and the dynamically positioned Surf Allamanda, owned by Bourbon Offshore, served as the work platform.

Controlled via laptop from the surface, the tapping machine known as the Moskito uses magnets to attach itself to the wreck before drilling through the hull plating and into the relevant tank.

A ball valve and hose is connected to the drill bit and barrel of the Moskito and this prevents oil escaping through the drilled hole while the valve is closed during drilling.  A hose for discharging the oil is connected to the drill’s valve before or after the hot tap operation has been completed.

The Oslo-based firm said the oil was recovered at a rate of 10 to 15 cubic metres per hour.