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Saturday, September 9, 1972
REMOVAL OF OIL FROM "SEAWISE UNIVERSITY" FULLY UNDERWAY
Nearly 700 tons of fuel oil have already been removed from the
wreck of the "Seawise University" which sank on January 9 this year
following a severe fire.
The oil removal operation is being carried out by the Fukada Salvage Co. Ltd., a leading Japanese salvage company.
The operation to remove the 3,070 tons of oil began on August 24 immediately after the salvage equipment arrived.
The team formed by the Japanese company is headed by a salvage
master and three salvage engineers.
Their equipment comprises one salvage tug, one hotel ship, two
oil storage barges and several small working and diving boats.
The method being used for the removal of the oil is considered
safe and is basically simple.
A Marine Department spokesman said today: "The operation consists
of the fixing of an outlet and an inlet valve to the vessel's hull and
holes are then drilled into the oil storage tanks.
"'Seawater is pumped into the tank to float up the oil which is sucked from the vessel and into one of the storage barges alongside."
Oil skimming work is carried out continuously and anti-pollution
precautions are rigidly observed during the oil removal operation.
The whole project is expected to be completed by mid-December.
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