Oil spill clean-up underway on South Africa’s west coast after the weekend break-up of grounded Panama flagged cargo vessel, MV Ultra Galaxy: SAMSA

_{The grounded MV Ultra Galaxy on its side and fragmented into four (4) pieces after the stormy weather on South Africa’s west coast this past weekend and whose massive ocean water waves resulted in the rapture of onethe caualty vessel’s oil tanks. (Photo: SAMSA)}

Pretoria: 30 July 2024

Coastal clean-up operations are ramping up on South Africa’s west coast after an oil-spill caused by the break-up of a grounded Panama-registered general cargo vessel, the MV Ultra Galaxy due to battering by massive waves associated with a cold front that enveloped the western and northern Cape regions this past weekend, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported on Monday.

According to SAMSA this immediately led to the deployment of the country’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan to mop up the oil spill in the adjoining coastal area, and which entailed the massing of manpower that initially involved some 125 people sourced from the local communities.

The national plan is managed by the country’s interim Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg), a virtual organisation chaired by the Department of Transport (DoT) and SAMSA, as the co-chair and secretariat.

Launched in 2017, with its membership drawn broadly from across various sectors of society inclusive of State departments, private sector industries as well as non-governmental institutions, it is South Africa’s preparedness forum for joint Government and industry response to oil spills within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of approximately 1.5-million km² across the Atlantic, Southern and Indian Oceans.

In a statement on Monday evening SAMSA said: “Clean-up operations continued throughout Monday (29 July 2024) following the oil spill from the grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy.

“Clean-up teams, comprising of salvors and 125 local community members, have been diligently working to remove the oil that washed up onto the beach, covering an area of approximately one kilometre south of the wreck.

“The heavy swells and wind waves assisted in washing the oil onto the immediate beach, preventing any oil from drifting seawards and further down the coastline.

“The clean-up team will be increased tomorrow (Tuesday) as the operation continues throughout the week. The waste will be disposed-off in a responsible manner, as per the incident specific waste management plan. Because the oil has congealed into tar balls, it is making it easier to collect it from the sand.

Reflecting briefly on how the dreaded break-up of the 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel, built in 2008, occured at the weekend, after a couple or so weeks since its grounding on 09 July 2024, while en route to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with fertiliser cargo onboard, and with salvage work having already begun, SAMSA attributed it to bad weather.

Said SAMSA: “Severe and disruptive weather that battered the Western and Northern Cape coastline and over the past three (3) days caused the vessel to break into four (4) sections and one fuel tank ruptured causing an oil spill on to the immediate beach area.”

Meanwhile, with the oil spill mop up phase ramping up, said SAMSA: “Continuous monitoring of the vessel is being conducted through both aerial and surface surveys to track the extent of the spill and its environmental impact.

“The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Affairs, Forestry, and Fisheries, remains on standby.

_{Images of the grounded Panama-registered MV Ultra Galaxy as well as the oil soaked part of the coast line on South Africa’s west coast after the stormy weather this past weekend and whose massive ocean waves tore the vessel apart in four (4) places, leading to an oil spill from one of its raptured tanks. (Photos: SAMSA)}

“They are planning to set up a temporary stabilization facility in Lamberts Bay to respond swiftly should seabirds become affected by the spill as a precautionary measure. Active salvage work was paused due to the inclement weather and will resume once conditions allow safe access to the wreck.

“Members of the public on the west Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, are requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam.

“Any findings should be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303. The public is advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves, as proper disposal is crucial to minimize harm to people and the environment,” said SAMSA, further committing to keeping the public updated of developments subject to availability of details.

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Grounded general cargo vessel broken apart by waves on South Africa’s west coast, national oil spill contingency plan activated: SAMSA

Pretoria: 28 July 2024

Salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged general cargo vessel, MV Ultra Galaxy, beached on its side in a remote area of South Africa’s west coast since early July, has taken another turn after the vessel broke apart due to yet another spell of a stormy wintry weather at the weekend, leading to an oil spillage, SAMSA reported on Sunday.

In a statement released in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon, SAMSA said that as a direct result of this latest incident, an oil spill contingency plan had been immeditately activated, with as many as 125 people from local communities enlisted in the mop up phase.

Said SAMSA: “The grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, has broken into four sections overnight, leading to an oil spill. All attempts are being made to contain the spill within the immediate area, and cleaning operations will continue.

“A full assessment is currently being conducted by both aerial and surface surveys. This follows the severe and disruptive weather that continues to batter the Western and Northern Cape coastlines.

“At one stage, 6.8-meter swells struck the wreck every 15 seconds, and the massive force of this constant battering caused the accommodation (section) to first break off, which then led to a number of larger cracks on the hull, forward of the accommodation.

“A pre-prepared Oil Spill Contingency Plan was initiated this (Sunday) morning, and additional personnel have been drafted in to assist with cleaning the spill. One hundred and twenty-five (125) people were recruited from the local community to assist with the clean-up operation, and the communities in the area have been very supportive throughout this operation,” said SAMSA.

According to SAMSA, this latest development occurred just after earlier in the week, salvors had managed to remove several lube oil drums and about eight (8) tons of marine gas oil from the fuel tanks of the wreck.

“All essential resources needed to deal with the oil spill have been mobilized. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should seabirds become affected.

“An Orange level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves was issued earlier in the week, with conditions expected to last until Monday, with the swell subsiding by Wednesday. Active salvage work will resume once it is safe to access the wreck,” said SAMSA.

Meanwhile, members of the public on the West Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, are requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam. SAMSA said any findings should be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.

“The public is also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimize harm to people and the environment. Further details will be shared as they become available,” said SAMSA

End.

Bad wintry weather disrupts salvage work of grounded general cargo vessel off South Africa’s west coast: SAMSA

^{An aerial photograph of the grounded Panama-registered general cargo vessel, the MV Ultra Galaxy taken early on Saturday and indicative of the prevailing extremely wintry weather conditions on South Africa’s west coast. (Photo: SAMSA)}

Pretoria: 27 July 2024

A spate of stormy wintry weather has again disrupted salvage work on a grounded general cargo vessel beached off a remote coastal area on South Africa’s west coast, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed on Saturday afternoon.

According to SAMSA in a statement on Saturday afternoon, the prevailing adverse weather conditions now battering the region – and anticipated to last until Tuesday of the coming week – have had the effect of delaying the placement of a specialised monitoring system for the gounded Panama-registered MV Ultra Galaxy vessel’s movement, stresses, and bending moments, due to poor flying conditions.

“Once installed, this system will help determine and monitor the structural integrity of the wreck and guide the safest method to bring the ship upright and remove it from the beach,” said SAMSA, however, pointing out that much progress to relieve the vessel of its fuels had begun successfully.

“Earlier this week,” said SAMSA: “salvage teams conducted dive inspections to recheck the structural integrity of the ship and its fuel tanks, both of which remain intact. The salvors also managed to enter the engine room, bridge, and accommodation using specialized climbing equipment.

“Additionally, a bathymetric survey (water depth survey) was completed in the waters surrounding the wreck. Salvors also managed to remove several lube oil drums and about eight (8) tons of marine gas oil from the fuel tanks of the wreck,” said SAMSA.

To speed things up, SAMSA further reported that a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) is scheduled to report in Cape Town on 29 July to uplift and load specialized fuel removal heating and salvage equipment.

“The PSV will then depart for the wreck (and) once stationed off the wreck, the PSV will use its dynamic positioning system and two anchors to position itself as close to the wreck as possible. The PSV will serve as a stable working platform, and the remaining fuel will be pumped from the wreck to the PSV via pipelines.” said SAMSA.

_{A second aerial photo of the grounded MV Ultra Galaxy vessel being severely battered by several meter high waves early on Saturday in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of South Africa. (Photo: SAMSA)}

In the meantime, according to SAMSA: “Salvors are closely monitoring the grounded MV Ultra Galaxy, as disruptive weather continues to batter the Western and Northern Cape coastline this weekend. An Orange level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves was issued earlier in the week, with conditions expected to last until Monday. Active salvage work will resume once the weather subsides.

Regarding debris and related matters, SAMSA sustained its call on members of the public on the West Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, “….to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam. Any findings should be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.

“The public is also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimize harm to people and the environment.

“The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should an oil spill occur and seabirds become affected.

Further details would be shared as they become available, said SAMSA.

End

Satisfactory progress made with salvage work on grounded general cargo vessel off South Africa’s west coast: SAMSA

Pretoria: 25 July 2024

With adverse weather conditions over the western part of South Africa having slowly subsided over the past week, salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, beached in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean coastline near Duiwegat, has gathered pace, reports the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

However, with predictions of more severe weather conditions again this weekend, projected at Level 6 (an Orange Warning denoting a major cold front characterised by damaging winds and high ocean water waves) from Sunday through to Tuesday next week, according to the South African Weather Services, this may have negative impacts on the progress being made.

In a media statement update on Thursday, SAMSA said crucially, the immediate emergency phase of the salvage operation central to which was the search and recovery of flotsam and other debris from the ship, and sealing the fuel tanks to prevent any oil from spilling into the ocean; had been successfully conducted.

SAMSA reported: “Salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, is continuing at pace. The vessel ran aground on the evening of Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024, off the coast of Duiwegat, just south of Brand se Baai on the West Coast.

“The ship was abandoned by its crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list. The crew is now safely back in the Philippines.

“The immediate emergency phase of the salvage operation has concluded. This phase included the search and recovery of flotsam and other debris from the ship and sealing the fuel tanks to prevent any oil from spilling into the ocean. A new salvage company, Smit International, has since been appointed to carry on the next phase.

“On Tuesday, (23 July 2024) dive inspections were conducted to recheck the structural integrity of the ship and fuel tanks. In the coming days, a specialized monitoring system will be installed to track the ship’s movement, stresses, and bending moments. This system will help determine the best method to safely bring the ship upright and remove it from the beach.

“Additionally, a bathymetric survey is being conducted in the water surrounding the ship and further off the coastline. A Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) will be brought in and anchored offshore to help stabilize the ship,” SAMSA said.

SAMSA also repeated its plea to the public exposed to the geographic environment of the casualty vessel, both on and offshore, to exercise caution in interaction with debris and related material flowing from the area.

Said SAMSA: “Members of the public on the West Coast, from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay, are requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam. Any findings should be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.

“The public is also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimize harm to people and the environment.

“The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should an oil spill occur, and seabirds become affected.

“The Panama-registered MV Ultra Galaxy (previously known as Thor Galaxy and Thorco Galaxy) is a 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel built in 2008. At the time of its distress call, she was en route to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania,” said SAMSA, adding that where necessary, further details will be shared as they become available.

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Gaps of calmer weather a welcome respite for salvage of grounded vessel on South Africa’s west coast: SAMSA

Pretoria: 16 July 2024

_{SALVAGE WORK ON COURSE: The grounded Panama-flagged general cargo vessel, the Ultra Galaxy, on its side, showing the breach of its cargo holds due to battering by huge wages driven by a cold front that swept the Western Cape province of South Africa in the past week. (Photo: SAMSA)}

Pockets of calmer weather off South Africa’s west coast have injected much needed impetus to salvage work of the grounded Panama-flagged general cargo ship, the MV Ultra Galaxy, now lying on its side, beached, on a remote location of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Cape Town; the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported on Tuesday.

According to SAMSA, top priority is the extraction and relocation of the vessel’s fuel and oils on board to prevent possible environmental polution at sea and the adjacent land area.

In a statement issued Tuesday following a meeting of the incident management team, SAMSA further confirmed that during the recent extreme weather experienced throughout the whole of last week and during which the vessel ran aground, the ship’s hatch covers were eventually dislodged and detached, leaving the cargo holds vulnerable. Consequently, a significant portion of the ship’s fertilizer cargo was swept away by the sea.

With welcome calmer weather, a helicopter could be used since the weekend to conduct inspection of the vessel (Photo: SAMSA)

In the wake of this development, two distinct warnings have since been issued to – on the one hand – vessels traversing the ocean in the area, and on the other hand, the general public, for all to be on the lookout for debris and other flotsam that may either be still at sea, or washed ashore by currents and winds.

SAMSA said: “Salvage work on the grounded Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, continued over the weekend. The vessel ran aground on the evening of Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024, off the coast of Duiwegat, just south of Brand se Baai on the West Coast.

“The ship was abandoned by her crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list. The crew is now safely back in the Philippines.

“In light of the recent extreme weather, the ship’s hatch covers were dislodged and detached from the vessel, leaving the cargo holds vulnerable. Consequently, a significant portion of the ship’s fertilizer cargo was swept away by the sea.

“While some hatch covers have been retrieved, a navigation alert has been issued for ships in the vicinity. Current efforts are focused on removing the fertilizer bags that are washing up on the shoreline. It is expected that most of the fertilizer in the individual cargo bags would have dissolved and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is implementing an environmental monitoring program.

“The search for flotsam and other debris from the ship will be expanding over the next few days, as the salvage crew tries to utilize the good weather between cold fronts.”

_{Photos of cargo hold steel hatch covers found strewn across a beach near where the Ultra Galaxy went aground on the west of South Africa last Tuesday evening, with salvage personnel on site to collect away both these, debris and other flotsom being found in the area. (Photos: SAMSA)}

According to SAMSA, with the drift pattern expected to be in a southerly direction, members of the public on the West Coast south of Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay were being requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach.

This includes items such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers, and other flotsam, and which should all be reported to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.

SAMSA made a special appeal to the public to not collect or attempt to remove any items found by themselves but to rather alert officials through the contact details provided.

Said SAMSA: “Members of the public are also requested not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris safely in order to minimize harm to people and the environment.

Meanwhile, according to SAMSA, salvage teams and divers had started with sealing the fuel tanks to prevent any oil from spilling into the ocean. “They are also investigating the structural integrity of the vessel to plan a way forward to secure and safely remove the oil and wreck from the area.

“At this stage of the operation, the vessel poses no new environmental threats, however all efforts are being made to monitor the situation and put preventative measures in place. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should an oil spill occur, and seabirds become affected,” said SAMSA.

The Panama-registered MV Ultra Galaxy (previously known as Thor Galaxy and Thorco Galaxy) is a 124.56-meter-long general cargo vessel built in 2008. At the time of its distress call early on Monday a week ago, she was on her way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Further public updates would be shared as they become available, said SAMSA.

End