Last night (local time), Shell's grounded drilling vessel, the Kulluk, was refloated from its Sitkalidak Island position.
Currently, the Kulluk is attached to the tug Aiviq by tow line. The Kulluk is currently floating offshore while personnel are assessing the condition of the vessel. Three additional tugs are on standby along with the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and two oil spill response vessels.
Assessment of the Vessel's Condition to Follow
'Following this initial step forward, we will continue to remain cautious while we assess the Kulluk’s condition,' said Martin Padilla, Incident Commander. 'We will not move forward to the next phase until we are confident that we can safely transport the vessel.'
There are currently more than 730 people involved in the response and recovery operation including local residents and a local on-site coordinator. Following this stage of the operation, there continue to be no injuries to response personnel.
Picture: The conical drilling unit Kulluk sits aground on the southeast shore of Sitkalidak Island about 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, in 40 mph winds and 20-foot seas Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The Kulluk grounded following many efforts by tug and Coast Guard crews to tow the vessel to a safe harbor when it was beset by winter storm weather during a tow from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to Everett, Wash. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis (by the US Coast Guard).
