KARACHI, Feb 21: After some cutting work on its lower parts, the front portion of the grounded and broken oil tanker, Tasman Spirit, was finally removed from the Karachi Port Trust channel on Saturday for its onwards journey to Gadani.

According to maritime sources, the toeing of the front portion in started around 11am, with the help of tugs, including one from the KPT. The portion was taken out of the KPT channel after one hour, which was a matter of relief for the trust authorities as well, as they were perturbed over the positioning of the tanker since its running aground on July 27 near KPT Keamari channel, a source added.

The personnel of the international salvagers, Smit Salvage BV, who had been involved in the operation, had the intention to refloat the portion during the week commencing on Feb 9, but things did not go as per their expectations due to some mechanical and procedural requirements.

The wreck-removal operation, which was started on Jan 20, had to be suspended for at least two days, as Customs (Preventive) issued two contradictory letters with regard to the collection of import duties on the wreck in question.

According to the salvagers, the two parts of the ship were supposed to be removed in two phases before March 10. Talking to newsmen after starting the removal operation in January, the head of the salvage team had mentioned that they wanted to remove the two portions before the commencement of Monsoon, otherwise the operation could be suspended for some period.

The salvagers had managed to pull up the submerged portion a couple of days back, but its further movement was obstructed because of some plate which had deeply gone in sea bed.

After cutting obstructing plate on Friday night, the salvagers went for removal on Saturday, when there was a high tide in the sea, a source privy to the operation revealed.

KPT Chairman Vice Admiral (retd) Ahmad Hayat, the General Manager (Operations), Rear Admiral Naoman Bashir, among others monitored the operation on Saturday.

The KPT termed the operation, during which tugs and heavy cranes were used, successful and mentioned that the portion had headed for Gadani where it would be dismantled further.

With a speed of 2km per hour, and weighing about 5,650 tonnes, the portion, toed by a tug and escorted by another tug, was expected to reach Gadani in 16 to 18 hours, the source said, adding that the removal operation of the rear portion of the tanker was likely to take another two weeks.

The local buyer of the front portion, Muhammad Yasin Memon of SS Enterprize, told Dawn that he was expecting the beaching of the ship at Gadani around 6am on Sunday. Practically, we would get the possession of the wreck some time on Sunday for further placing at out plot no 67 and 68 of the Gadani ship breaking yard, he added and expected that breaking of the portion would follow within a week.