KARACHI, Jan 26: International salvagers working on the wreckage of foreign oil tanker Tasman Spirit, lying in two portions, near the Karachi Port Trust's main navigation channel, do not rule out the chances of further discharge of oil in the sea.

The in charge of wreckage removal operation, told newsmen on Monday that the possibility of further oil spillage from the broken ship could not be dispelled. However, he mentioned that the remaining oil in the ship was small in quantity, and as such surfacing of a "sheen" of oil on the sea was apprehended during the operation.

The project director of the operation, engaged by the Smit Salvage, Captain Nick Sloane, said that an international expert on environment was also included in his team, who was monitoring the operation, while sufficient quantity of chemical 'dispersant' was also available to check the pollution, if any.

As per an estimate, about 1,100 tonne oil was still present in different tanks of the ship, but at present there was no leakage from the ship, while booms had also been placed around it as a safety measure, he added.

The newsmen's visit to the site of Tasman Spirit and salvage ships and tugs engaged in operation was arranged by the KPT. The KPT General Manager (Administration), Brig Iftikhar Arshad Khan, and Human Resource Manager Cmdr Anjum Sarfraz also accompanied the media team.

Tasman Spirit had run aground on July 27 last, and subsequently over 30,000 tonnes of Iranian crude oil leaked into the sea, before and during the salvage operation, till the end of August.

Briefing the newsmen on-board a barge, lying along Tasman Spirit and being used as a working platform for divers and other technical personnel, Capt Nick said that two tugs, one crane, with 1,000-tonne lifting capacity, and a barge, along with a couple of other equipment had been brought in so far, while another crane having 1,600-tonne capacity and a tug would be reaching next month.

He said that the wreckage removal operation, which started on Jan 20, would be completed in two to three months time, prior to the onset of monsoon season. At present, patchwork and oil-skimming were being carried out for inversion of required gas in the lower part of the front portion of the ship, weighing about 6,000 tonnes, he added.

He hoped that after gas-filling works, efforts pertaining to mechanical lifting would also be made in order to refloat the front portion of the ship for its final placing at the Gadani Ship-breaking Yard, Balochistan, before Feb 10, when the routine high tide took place.

He said that with regard to lifting or floating of ship's rear portion, weighing about 9,000 tonnes, a second assessment of the ship would be made soon. Removal drill pertaining to the rear portion seemed a challenging task and as such we had planned to employ more equipment and workforce, he added.

To a question, he said that in view of the draft size of the ship, he was not sure that placement of the rear portion for any breaking purpose would be an easy job. Since the shifting of the two portions to Gadani involved our tugs, the traffic situation at Gadani would have to be considered, he remarked.

He said that though selling out of the Tasman Spirit to ship breakers was not his job, he could say that parties were showing interest in the ship with an overall weight of 16,000 tonnes. The local facilitator, KPT, was supporting the operation through its coordinator, Capt Jamaluddin, who was also updated on day-to-day proceedings of the salvage team.

A representative of project coordinator in Pakistan, MEW Ltd, Imran Farooq, said that about 75 divers, riggers and other technical staff, including about 15 personnel from Pakistan, had been engaged for the operation, while the existing crew of tugs and ships brought in numbered around 140.