Treatment of the wreck
The wreck of the Ievoli Sun was located and surveyed on 1st November by sonar then by the “Self-Propelled Fish” (PAP) belonging to the French Navy’s minesweeper Céphée. This survey showed that the chemical tanker remained intact. It was lying on its port side (left side) at an angle of 120° and a depth of 90 m on a seabed of sand and small rocks in an area of strong current.
On 8th November, the Northern Prince, chartered in the interests of the Ievoli Sun’s shipowner by its P&I Club, deployed a Remotely Operated Vehicle to carry out a complete inspection of the wreck.
Various proposals for dealing with the cargo (chemicals and oil products) were put forward by the P&I Club and examined by an expert committee composed of representatives of:
- French Transport Ministry
- French Environment Ministry
- Cedre
- Ceppol
After obtaining permission from the British and French authorities, the shipowner and his P&I Club contracted Smit Tak Co. on 10th April 2001 to implement response operations on the cargo of the Ievoli Sun.
These operations were expected to last 6 weeks. The operations were conducted by the Smit Pioneer, a multipurpose vessel belonging to SMIT International. Two recovery barges were placed on the deck to recover the cargo pumped out: one 2,000 m3 barge for the styrene and one 370 m3 barge for the fuel oil (IFO 180). The area was supervised by the Ailette, a vessel equipped for spill response, chartered by the French Navy. The operations were carried out in 6 phases:
- survey of the bunker tanks
- fitting of base plates and drilling of the outer hull of the Ievoli Sun
- inspection of the space between the two hulls
- drilling of the inner hull and direct release of the MEK and IPA at sea, an operation conducted at a controlled flow rate
- pumping and storage of the styrene on the deck of the Smit Pioneer then transfer to the chemical tanker Angela. The product was transferred in a sheltered bay in the south of England.
- final survey of the wreck and the operation area by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).
Operations began on 12th April 2001 and were completed on 31st May 2001, after 51 days of operations conducted entirely by remote systems and in rough seas and strong current.