No fuel leaking from drill vessel - Coast Guard

The Kulluk grounded after many efforts by tug vessel crews and Coast Guard crews to move the vessel to safe harbor during a winter storm.

The Kulluk grounded after many efforts by tug vessel crews and Coast Guard crews to move the vessel to safe harbor during a winter storm.

Published Jan 4, 2013

Share

Anchorage - A Royal Dutch Shell drill vessel aground off a remote Gulf of Alaska island is upright and stable but has suffered damage to generators and its upper deck.

Shell incident commander Sean Churchfield says a salvage team found open hatches that allowed water to enter the Kulluk, which drilled in the Beaufort Sea during the 2012 open water season.

The Coast Guard says there's no indication of a fuel leak.

The drilling barge ran around on Monday night after it lost a line to its main towing vessel and couldn't be controlled by a tugboat.

Churchfield says damage to the barge's generators means salvagers may have to bring external generators on board or work without power. He says the salvage is in the assessment stage and it's too early to tell when the vessel can be moved. - Sapa-AP

Related Topics: