Resolve Marine Group announced that it completed the wreck removal of the bulk cement carrier MV Raysut II, which grounded off the pristine beaches of Al-Fazayah Beach, Salalah. Raysut II, left the Port of Salalah in May 2018 when the port was evacuated because adverse weather conditions. The vessel lost headway and steerage and grounded on Fazayah Beach on 26th May 2018.
At the time of the grounding, the vessel was laden with about 6,750mt of dry powdered cement. After the initial responder’s unsuccessful attempt to refloat during the Monsoon season, the ship was defueled and declared as a CTL (Constructive Total Loss).
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Thus, in November 2018 Resolve Marine Group obtained the contract for removal and disposal of the vessel and cargo. After being awarded the contract, Resolve deployed its Crane Barge RMG 1000 and Resolve Monarch from Singapore, two of their salvage and wreck removal support vessels.
The assets arrived in Salalah early January, and the vessel was successfully patched up and refloated with cargo on board in early February 2019. This was determined to be the most environmentally sound method to carry out the operation. Other ways suggested by salvors included cutting in situ, which the company says would have posed considerable delays.
The Government was also averse to the possibility of operations progressing into the next monsoon season, when weather conditions would have made operations more challenging and threatening to the environment.
The vessel was towed to the port of Salalah, Oman, where the bulk of the cargo was discharged by Resolve. The vessel cement pumping system had to be reactivated and modified so that the cement cargo could be directly discharged into closed road tankers to avoid dust pollution. Special Airlifts were designed to discharge the holds where the cargo was partially solidified and could not be pumped directly.
The vessel was successfully delivered on April 11th and subsequently recycled.
