Barrier Reef oil spill April 4, 2010

I am confident that when this turns up that the location will be such that it appears this captain was taking a short cut.

Inner Route

On 1 October 1991 a compulsory pilotage district was declared for the Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef between Cape York (Lat 10(41'S) and Cairns (Lat 16(40'S). All vessels of 70 metres or more in overall length (or oil tankers, gas carriers and chemical tankers irrespective of length) transiting this district are required to use the services of a licensed pilot.

Hydrographers Passage

On 1 October 1991 a compulsory pilotage district was declared for Hydrographers Passage. All vessels 70 metres (or oil tankers, gas carriers and chemical tankers irrespective of length) or more in length are required to use the services of a licensed pilot.

Torres Strait & Great North East Channel

Under IMO resolution MEPC.133(53), a pilot, licensed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), is required to be carried by all vessels of 70 metres or more in overall length, and all loaded oil tankers, chemical tankers and liquefied gas carriers regardless of length, when passing through Torres Strait and the Great North East Channel.

It turns out that Australia has imposed no requirement for a pilot in these waters

When bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on a shoal in Great Barrier Reef waters on Saturday it did not have a marine pilot aboard to guide it through.

The vessel grounded on a reef 15 kilometres from the shipping channel it was supposed to traverse.

The incident has again sparked debate over whether pilots should be compulsory on vessels traversing the passage between the outer reef and the Queensland coastline.

It's a debate that has gone on for decades.

A near-identical incident in 2000 saw a Malaysian-flagged container ship run aground on Sudbury Reef off Cairns.

On November 2, 2000 the Bunga Teratai Satu ploughed into Sudbury Reef at full speed, its bow penetrating 100 metres onto the coral.

The ship was refloated, without spilling fuel or cargo, on November 14, 2000.

The incident again sparked media debate about the need for pilots on the large freighters which traverse the waters of the inner reef.

The official report into the grounding, by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, noted that "a detailed study of pilotage in the inner route of the Great Barrier Reef is currently being undertaken jointly by AMSA and the Queensland Department of Transport".

Media reports at the time quoted the Marine Pilots Association, which said the question of reef pilotage had been reviewed three times since 1993, with no positive result.

AAP is seeking comment from the Marine Pilots Association in relation to the latest grounding of the Shen Neng 1, currently aground off central Queensland and leaking oil.

Traffic in reef waters is expected to expand greatly in coming years, with contracts signed for the export of $60 billion worth of liquified natural gas, and huge export deals for coal signed or in the pipeline.

Another key threat faced by the Great Barrier Reef is pollution and declining water quality. The rivers of north eastern Australia pollute the Reef during tropical flood events. Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm runoff. Farm run-off is polluted by overgrazing, excessive fertiliser use and pesticide use.

With all due respects Walter, they would have seen the Queensland coast from that ship, right maps or wrong maps.

And if the captain wasn't even aware of the Great Barrier Reef being so close to the Qld coast, then how on earth did he come to be in charge of such a vessel?

Authorities prepare to salvage oil spill ship
Updated 1 hour 24 minutes ago


The ship has leaked about two tonnes of oil and maritime authorities are trying to stop more seepage. (Maritime Safety Queensland)

A ship equipped to deal with oil spills will arrive this morning at the site where a bulk coal carrier ran aground in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park off central Queensland.

The Chinese coal carrier, Shen Neng 1, hit the Douglas Shoal east of Rockhampton at the weekend, rupturing its fuel tank and leaking four tonnes of oil.

The ship is laden with more than 60,000 tonnes of coal and almost 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil.

Today's salvage operation will involve removing the remainder of the ship's oil.

Authorities say chemical dispersants have broken up the spill and it is unlikely the stricken ship will break up.

Tugboats are being used to stabilise the ship and maritime authorities will decide today when to remove the oil, which must go before any attempt is made to move the vessel.

Dutch-based company Svitzer is handling the salvage operation and has flown in three planeloads of specialist equipment, including heavy duty pumps and compressors.

'Risky exercise'

Officials hope the fuel transfer will begin either this afternoon or tomorrow while the weather is good, but Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has warned it will be a complex and risky exercise.

Ms Bligh says it could be one of the most difficult salvage operations in Australia's history.

"We have to prepare for the possibility that more oil may well escape," she said.

"That means that we have in cooperation with the councils along this shoreline a comprehensive civilian response should we have any further oil come out of the vessel and on to any of the shores."...<cont>

George, I'm aware that Australia requires no pilot. Having a pilot is still the competent thing to do. Common sense here.

T
K
O

they would have seen the Queensland coast from that ship

Glad to learn that Diest is so experienced in maneuvering large ships. A man of many accomplishments to be sure.

I generally used a pilot only on the first two or three entrances into an unfamiliar port or one where the tug boat captains and port control folks spoke a language I didn't understand. After that they were basically a fifth wheel ... and very expensive ... about $15,000 for a three hour gig (and that was a few years ago). Now I'm a commissioner on the Pilot review board for the San Francisco Bay. We review mishaps and evaluate screwups by the Pilots. It's a nice racket they have.