EMEA News
Flinterstar Debunkering Halted Due to Bad Weather
Belgium's Secretary for the North Sea, Bart Tommelein, Tuesday said that the fuel removal operation on the sunken freighter, Flinterstar, was halted at 10 a.m. due to high winds that are expected to last through Wednesday, Dutch media reports.
Work is also not expected to be able to continue on Wednesday.
"Right now it is not safe to operate with peaks up to 6 Beaufort. We hope as soon as possible to again pump oil from the ship," said Tommelein.
"The protection of the environment remains our first concern."
Meanwhile, the Management Unit of the Mathematical Model (MUMM) of the North Sea, says that survey flights have shown there is little chance that the oil will come ashore, noting that the oil slick is currently "limited."
"Nature does some of the work: the turbulent sea dissolves the oil more quickly," stated Tommelein.
Neighbouring countries were said to be being continuously informed of the situation, as well as France, the UK and the Netherlands, but it is thought that "there is currently little chance that oil will come ashore."
Last week, the Dutch-flagged freighter, Flinterstar, sunk after colliding with Marshall Island-flagged liquified natural gas (LNG) tanker Al-Oraiq 10 km off the Belgian Coast, resulting in bunker leakage from the Flinterstar's tanks.
