Snag in fuel recovery from M/V Monarch

Petroleum News

Planned fuel recovery from the sunken supply vessel Monarch in Cook Inlet was unsuccessful June 13 when the mooring system on the Ocean Marine Services Inc. vessel Perseverance failed.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said in a June 15 situation report that the OSV Perseverance arrived at the Granite Point platform June 12 to begin fuel recovery and three dives were accomplished during slack tides beginning early in the morning June 13.

DEC’s Division of Spill Prevention and Response said divers established a locate line to the Monarch, which sank Jan. 15 when it was pinned against the Granite Point platform by sea ice while making a delivery; the Monarch’s seven-member crew evacuated to the platform. The Monarch, now on the bottom of Cook Inlet near the platform, carried some 34,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 690 gallons of lube oil and totes and drums of chemicals for delivery to platforms.

The divers cleared debris around the fuel tank access cover, removed the deck cover on the port number one fuel tank, inserted a 2-inch flexible wand through the deck opening to the top of the fuel tank and began fuel recovery operations.

950 gallons of diesel recovered

But the evening of June 13 the mooring system holding the Perseverance in place failed in an estimated 4 knots of flood tide current.

Perseverance established position on the east side of the Granite Point platform, awaited slack current and safely recovered the mooring system and disconnected from the platform; the vessel then departed for Nikiski Bay.

The division said unified command meetings on June 13 and 14 determined that recovery operations would discontinue due to safety and engineering concerns.

Ocean Marine Services is examining all options, including a stronger mooring system and replacing the 207-foot Perseverance, which displaces 2,158 tons and draws 15 feet of water, the division said. The vessel’s deep draft makes it more susceptible to current forces.