Heavy swells hitting the wreck of the cargo ship Rena have resulted in further containers being released from a hold in the bow section, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says. In addition, the oil spill response team has confirmed a small amount of oil is leaking from the wreck.
The Astrolabe Reef is currently being hit with swells of up to 7m, with the heavy seas forecast to persist through the night, and ease tomorrow.
10 Containers Lost
MNZ Tauranga Response and Recovery Manager David Billington said an observation flight this afternoon had confirmed the swells had forced a hatch cover off the number 3 hold in the bow section, and an estimated 10 containers had been released from the same hold. One of these containers was seen floating near the wreck. It is possible the others have sunk to the seabed.
No Salvage Operations Possible
Mr Billington said no salvage operations could take place during the rough weather, but the salvage and container recovery teams were monitoring the situation and had contingency plans in place to respond as soon as weather conditions allowed.
Keep a Good Lookout
Billington advised any boaties out on the water in the Bay of Plenty to take extra care and to observe the 2 nautical mile exclusion zone around the wreck site. ‘There is debris in the water and this could cause damage if it comes into contact with your boat. Keep a really good lookout, and travel at a safe speed,’ he said.
Amount of Oil Leaked Unclear
It is impossible to confirm how much oil has leaked into the sea. However, the total amount of oil left on Rena is in the tens of tonnes, located in a number of pockets around the wreck. It is very unlikely all of this would be released in one event. Trajectory modelling shows that if this small amount of oil does reach the shoreline, it could reach the Coromandel overnight. This would be expected to take the form of areas with a very light sprinkling of oil on shorelines between Whiritoa and Whitianga.
Unlikely to Have a Significant Impact
It is important to note that the amount of oil released from the wreck is only a tiny percentage of the oil we saw released in the big spill in October. It is unlikely to have a significant impact – however, it is important people are aware there could be some oil on their beaches over the next few days.
Oil Response Team at the Ready
Working as part of the Rena response team, personnel from the Waikato Regional Council have been mobilised and they will check the potentially affected shorelines tomorrow to assess whether any oil has come ashore, and mount whatever response is required. It is unlikely the level of oil we expect to see will have any impact on wildlife. However, the Massey wildlife team is ready to deal with any affected wildlife if needed.
Also visit our photo album of the Rena salvage operation below.
Picture: Heavy swells hitting the bow section of Rena (Source: Maritime New Zealand)
