Salvage firm wins contract to re-float wellboat
The US-based salvage firm Ardent has won the contract to re-float the wellboat Seikongen, which sank in shallow water while carrying our work for salmon farmer Camanchaca in Chile in October last year.
Ardent was formed in May, 2015, by the merger of Titan Salvage and Svitzer Salvage, has international experience in cases such as the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia and the recovery of the jack-up oil platform, Troll Solution.
The starboard (right) side of the Seikongen is supported by the seabed. The plan is to right the boat through the use of chains, reduce its weight and refloat it with the use of submersible pumps.
When the ship is floating by its own means, a general inspection will be carried out with the objective of ensuring it can be towed to port.
Work is expected to be completed by mid-May.
Damaged during loading
The Hong Kong-built Seikongen, a new vessel, was damaged during loading operations on October 18 last year near Pilpilehue, not far from the city of Puerto Montt, more than 1,000 kilometres south of the Chilean capital, Santiago. It was carrying 200 tonnes of salmon.
"We will continue working with all communication services so that these manoeuvres that are going to be carried out are done in the best possible way, without damaging the environment and that those who will work in the refloating of the vessel are protected," said Chiloé governor, Fernando Bórquez.
According to the naval authorities, Ardent has a term of 80 consecutive days to complete the salvage operations, provided that the climatic and logistical conditions allow it.
