Royal Oak oil leak solution could come from new bid
(From The Orcadian dated September 21, 2000)

An Aberdeen-based offshore company could solve the problem of oil leaking from the Royal Oak, The Orcadian can reveal this week.

Stolt Offshore have successfully removed oil from a sunken warship in the past, and they expressed an interest this week in Orkney’s Royal Oak oil leak problem. As the rate of oil leaking from the sunken battleship increases, the greater the risk it poses to the environment of Scapa Flow and the surrounding shores. And the rate is increasing – back in July it was estimated at around 100 litres of oil per day, but now the amount stands at between 300 and 500 litres per day.

The Royal Navy have previously attempted to control the leak – including fixing a huge canopy device above the wreck to collect the oil – but they have failed.

A team of Navy divers are examining the wreck this week to try and find a stop-gap solution until they attempt to remove the oil next year.

But the Ministry of Defence have come under fire over the past few months by councillors, harbour officials and environmentalists who feel that the Navy are underestimating the seriousness of the situation. There are fears that it will be too late by next year to stop the estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil from escaping into the Flow.

However, this week The Orcadian heard of a similar situation in Norwegian waters, where oil was successfully drained from a sunken ship by the Aberdeen-based offshore company.

Stolt Offshore (then Stolt Comex Seaway) dived on to a sunken German warship in open waters off Norway and drained the oil without any problems, according to company operations manager Mr Julian Thomson.

“We cut into the ship then we pump the oil out,” he explained. “It’s a fairly standard procedure.”

After The Orcadian told Mr Thomson of the Royal Oak situation in Scapa Flow, he said he was keen to contact the Royal Navy to see if they could use their tried and tested measure to help drain the oil. Mr Thomson added that he was unaware of the conditions surrounding the Royal Oak and the procedure could be unfeasable for a number of reasons.

In the meantime, the Royal Navy have sent a team of divers to the Flow this week to examine the wreck with a view to attaching a patch over the area where the oil is leaking the most.

This will be a temporary measure to reduce the flow of oil before they start hot-tapping the oil from the vessel next year.

Mr Jim Purvis from Orkney Islands Council’s harbours department said: “It’s not what we want. We would like to see them hot-tapping now, but if they say they can’t for whatever reason then I hope that what they are doing now works.

“Anything that can mitigate the effects of the oil being released in to the environment is a good thing. However we would like to see a permanent solution as soon as possible.”

The Royal Navy tried attaching a patch on the leaking hull in the past, but it failed to control the leak.

“That patch did come off with the canopy device,” said Mr Purvis. “The idea now is to reinstall that patch on the hull.”

Although it’s not the long-term solution the department are looking for, he added: “At least they have come up and attempted to do something. So hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be successful.”

Earlier this year the harbours department moved a special device into place over the wreck site to soak up the oil. The device has been created by placing absorbent booms around an adapted salmon cage, anchored over the wreck.

Mr Purvis says the device will stay in place until the Navy install the patch over the hull.