DCN October Edition 2019

MARITIME ENGINEERING & SALVAGE
The submerged
Southern Phoenix
is surrounded by
250 metres of
Lamor Deep Sea
Inflatable booms
with skimmers,
pollutant
recovery and
storage pods
Removal of the Southern Phoenix
Salvager officer from Pacific Towing,
Ian Stevens, writes about the broad
expertise and co-operative effort
required to relocate and sink a stricken
container ship in Fiji
Pacific Towing (PNG) Ltd, a provider of diverse marine
services, including towage and salvage in Oceania and South
East Asia, has successfully and cost-effectively completed the
wreck removal of container ship the Southern Phoenix in Suva
Harbour, Fiji.
The wreck removal utilised as much Fiji local expertise as
possible and capitalised upon PacTow’s extensive experience in
salvage and smaller scale wreck removals in the region.
The Southern Phoenix (88m–4285t DWT) became unstable whilst
loading at Kings Wharf, Suva on May 6, 2017 and rapidly developed
an uncontrollable port list.
The crew were evacuated and swift action by Fiji Ports
Corporation and local tugs allowed the vessel to be moved clear
from the wharf, prior to it settling on its port side in 11 metres of
water around 140 metres from Kings Wharf.
The fuel and pollutants were removed successfully by another
salvor. An international tender to capable salvors and companies
for the removal of the wreck and its cargo was later issued.
EARLY STAGES
During the tender process and assessment of the tender document,
the Southern Phoenix continued to settle into the sea bed which
caused the two port side crane pedestals to become bogged. The
exact extent of remaining cargo was difficult to appraise but it was
apparent that about 25 TEU of deck cargo remained attached. The
hold cargo (that is, 350x12m power poles and 350 pre-cast concrete
units) was estimated to be 101 TEU.
PacTow, with its headquarters in Papua New Guinea and another
business in Solomon Islands, was keen to offer a salvage solution
to this casualty within its geographical footprint and during the
Southern Phoenix project it established a business in Fiji.
PacTow was aware that the limit of exposure the owners had
available had been diminished by the removal of pollutants. An
innovative and cost effective local solution was considered to be
the most preferable. The solution involved close co-operation with
the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, the Fiji Ports Corporation,
casualty owners and several local companies. A particular
emphasis was placed on the containment and treatment of any
residual pollution.
In November 2018 PacTow began mobilisation of equipment and
personnel. This was no mean feat in a region of far flung island
nations. The project necessitated major equipment purchases from
Australia, namely a 180’x60’x12’ Deck Barge M&R03, as well as
a Hitachi K600 crane with 150-tonne capacity. The crane was
installed on the barge in Cairns.
Additional salvage and dive equipment from PacTow’s base in
Port Moresby was delivered to Cairns by the company’s salvage tug
Vulcan. Specialised ground tackle, winches and hydraulics were
sourced from PacTow’s partner, Perrott Salvage, loaded on the barge
and then towed to Suva by the Vulcan.
A team of experienced salvors, commercial divers and local tradesmen
were mobilised to coincide with the barge’s arrival in Suva.
THE PLAN
PacTow’s plan was to take control of the wreck and surround
it with 250 metres of Lamor Deep Sea Inflatable booms with
skimmers, pollutant recovery and storage pods supplied by longterm
associates at Swire Pacific Offshore in Singapore.
Given that the wreck had settled six metres since floundering,
the dive effort was more complex than initially anticipated.
However, PacTow’s experienced dive team commenced the release
and removal of deck cargo to allow the crane to handle it. The
logistics of consolidating the salved containers ashore was via a
46 October 2019
thedcn.com.au