After a reported $100,000 repair job, the oil tanker Front Highness which developed a leak while in the Northwest Bahamas last week, left Freeport Sunday night enroute to Louisianna.
The oil tanker had an 18-inch hairline crack in its hull.
The Bahamas Government on Thursday gave permission for the Singaporean-registered oil tanker to anchor in Freeport Harbour to repair the cracked hull that leaked oil in the Northwest Bahamas.
The 11-year-old tanker was carrying 260,000 tons of Brent Light Crude oil from Scotland to Louisiana.
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation emphasised that the oil spillage was minimal, causing no environmental damage to Abaco, Eleuthera and the Berry Islands.
Prior to the government’s granting permission for the single-hulled tanker to sail into Freeport Habour, a three-man team flew to the ship in a chartered helicopter for an on-the-spot assessment. The team was composed of Ben Ferguson, Deputy Port Director in Freeport; David Betts, a representative of the owners of the tanker. V. Ships UK Limited; and Darrell Ashley, a representative of Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a Norwegian ship classification society whose responsibilities include inspecting ships to ensure their seaworthiness.
They reported no traces of oil leaking to the surface, and no sign of an oil slick on the surrounding waters. DNV issued a temporary certificate of classification, indicating the tanker’s seaworthiness to continue traveling.
Plans called for the Front Highness, located about 70 miles off Hole in the Wall, Abaco, to be escorted into Freeport Harbour by a tug. “Underwater welders will then weld a metal patch over an 18-inch hairline crack in its hull, enabling it to resume its voyage to Louisiana safely,” the Ministry said.
“The repair work and a determination of the exact damage will be done under the supervision of Det Norske Veritas.”
The cause of the leak is being investigated. In an attempt to deal with it on Christmas Eve, officers and crew successfully transferred fuel from one tank into a water ballast tank, the Ministry said.
In the event that assistance was required for a clean-up operation, The Caribbean Co-operative of Fort Lauderdale had been notified.
By Keva Lightbourn, The Nassau Guardian
