MV New Flame
Encyclopedia
M/V New Flame was a Panama
nian bulk-carrier
cargo ship
. It collided with an oil tanker off Europa Point
, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar
on 12 August 2007, and ended up partially submerged in the Strait of Gibraltar
. The vessel broke into two in December 2007 amid numerous unsuccessful recovery efforts. The cargo was salvaged
and the stern section removed for scrap
. Following the crew's rescue, the captain was arrested for having departed without authorisation and later released on bail pending an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
s and had a capacity of nearly . At time of the incident it had a crew of 23 and it was owned by the Greek company Transmar. The ship was built in June 1994 by Daewoo
H.I, South Korea and first named as Skaustrand. From 1995 it was named Aditya Gautam and was owned by the Indian company Century Textiles & Industries Ltd who sold it in 2005 to Transmar for US$
22.5 million.
New Flame ran into the stern
of the Danish petroleum tanker Torm Gertrud en route to Turkey
after departing from Gibraltar
, about one kilometre south of Europa Point
, Gibraltar. The New Flame was carrying 27,000 tons of scrap metal and 750 tons of fuel oil, which had just been topped up in Gibraltar. The Torm Gertrud is a double hulled petrol tanker built 2002 with a crew of 26, considered to be of a modern and high quality construction. It was scheduled to complete a personnel transfer off limits of the Spanish port of Algeciras
. The tanker proceeded towards Algeciras after the collision, where it was secured, with its cargo of 39,000 tons of fuel, whilst the New Flame took water by the bow
. The ship was abandoned by the crew and thereafter became partially submerged, drifted and eventually ran aground nearby.
The rescue response at the working level of Gibraltar was commended, although there was considerable criticism at a local level in Spain, due to the dispute between Spain and Gibraltar
.
Removal of the vessel’s fuel was initiated on 15 August with the arrival of the tug Hua-An, later joined by the tug Fotiy krylov (one of the largest of the world). It was the first priority of the salvage operation in order to minimise the environmental risk of the operation, followed by operations to refloat the ship. On 20 August the salvage operation turned to the controlled break-up of the ship in two halves and the first reports of a 'minor' oil-spill were reported. It was reported that 500 tons of fuel remained on board. The tug Fotiy Krylov had attempted to move the ship and divers reviewed any damage, concluding that the ship's structural integrity was enough to continue with the removal of fuel. By 24 August the likely outcome would be to refloat the ship, even if only partially to then tow to a safer location.
The salvage companies involved were Tsavliris (Greece) and Svitzer Wijsmuller Salvage (Dutch subcontractors) who also took part in the fuel extraction and the refloating of the Sierra Nava, which ran aground near Algeciras in January 2007 and the Don Pedro
which ran aground near Ibiza
in the same year. When it was announced that no oil remained in the wreck, it was also noted that the ship would not be salvaged in a single piece due to structural damage and would be instead cut in two parts at one-third of its length from the bow. The stern section will be removed first, towed to a safe area, its cargo removed and then taken to dry dock in Gibraltar. On completion, the bow part would have been removed in parts where it rests.
The operation was scheduled to start in October with the removal of the stern in November and the bow as late as March 2008. However, the salvage company experienced technical difficulties in cutting up the vessel. Following heavily prolonged bad weather, the vessel broke up into two on 22 December 2007, prompting an emergency meeting by the Government of Gibraltar with maritime authorities. As of 30 December 2007, lifting operations continue on the New Flame.
28 December 2007. The vessel's insurers appointed Titan Maritime to salve the wreck and cargo. Titan is one of the world's largest marine salvage companies.
8 January 2008. Executives of Titan Marine Salvage made a presentation to Gibraltar and Spanish journalists outlining their plan to salvage the ship and contain any oil spills. They stated that the cargo was scrap iron. This company was previously responsible for the salvage of the Spabunker IV, a fully laden Spanish oil bunkering vessel which sank in the bay.
15 February 2009. The salvage of the remaining section of the New Flame is still under way, due to Spanish media and politicians twisting reports provided by the Gibraltar Government they are not providing as detailed information regarding the ongoing salvage as they had been, the exclusion zone around the site is still in effect.
16 February 2009. The salvage operation of the New Flame featured on "Salvage Code Red" on the National Geographic Channel
first airing at 2100hrs GMT on 16-02-2009
metal) may have. There have been repeated concerns raised that incidents in the area are commonplace; this was the second incident of the year,
with local politicians on both Gibraltar and Spanish sides calling for a review of procedures. On 21 August the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (Salvamento Maritimo) announced that it had put in place its anti-pollution alert program. The bulk of these measures is the deployment of the ship "Don Inda", based in Galicia which arrived at Algeciras on 14 August. On 31 August the European Maritime Safety Agency
announced that, at the request of the Spanish administration the ship "Mistra Bay", which specialises on treatment of pollution, will be sent to the area. The ship is based in Malta
and it would come into action should the fears that New Flame will split in two come true.
The Government of Gibraltar announced on 14 September 2007 that all fuel was removed from the vessel, totalling 780 cubic metres. The operation had been hampered by bad weather and the exposed location of the wreck. It is only the ship and its cargo of scrap that remains.
Following continued media speculation and accusations in Spain the Government of Gibraltar announced it would make no further public comment, except that "This salvage operation has taken place more quickly than comparable salvage operations elsewhere in the world."
On 6 August 2008, the stern section was lifted and taken to the ship repair yard.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian bulk-carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
. It collided with an oil tanker off Europa Point
Europa Point
Europa Point, also called Great Europa Point, is the southernmost point of Gibraltar. At the end of Rock of Gibraltar, the area is flat and occupied by such features as a playing field and a few buildings...
, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 12 August 2007, and ended up partially submerged in the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
. The vessel broke into two in December 2007 amid numerous unsuccessful recovery efforts. The cargo was salvaged
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
and the stern section removed for scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
. Following the crew's rescue, the captain was arrested for having departed without authorisation and later released on bail pending an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
Ship description
New Flame measured 190 metres (623.4 ft) long, 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide and 28 metres (91.9 ft) tall, of which 16 metres (52.5 ft) were under the water line. It measured 26,824 gross tonGross tonnage
Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage...
s and had a capacity of nearly . At time of the incident it had a crew of 23 and it was owned by the Greek company Transmar. The ship was built in June 1994 by Daewoo
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
H.I, South Korea and first named as Skaustrand. From 1995 it was named Aditya Gautam and was owned by the Indian company Century Textiles & Industries Ltd who sold it in 2005 to Transmar for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
22.5 million.
Collision
In the early morning of 12 August 2007 the Panamanian cargo shipCargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
New Flame ran into the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
of the Danish petroleum tanker Torm Gertrud en route to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
after departing from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, about one kilometre south of Europa Point
Europa Point
Europa Point, also called Great Europa Point, is the southernmost point of Gibraltar. At the end of Rock of Gibraltar, the area is flat and occupied by such features as a playing field and a few buildings...
, Gibraltar. The New Flame was carrying 27,000 tons of scrap metal and 750 tons of fuel oil, which had just been topped up in Gibraltar. The Torm Gertrud is a double hulled petrol tanker built 2002 with a crew of 26, considered to be of a modern and high quality construction. It was scheduled to complete a personnel transfer off limits of the Spanish port of Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
. The tanker proceeded towards Algeciras after the collision, where it was secured, with its cargo of 39,000 tons of fuel, whilst the New Flame took water by the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
. The ship was abandoned by the crew and thereafter became partially submerged, drifted and eventually ran aground nearby.
Recovery efforts
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
.
Removal of the vessel’s fuel was initiated on 15 August with the arrival of the tug Hua-An, later joined by the tug Fotiy krylov (one of the largest of the world). It was the first priority of the salvage operation in order to minimise the environmental risk of the operation, followed by operations to refloat the ship. On 20 August the salvage operation turned to the controlled break-up of the ship in two halves and the first reports of a 'minor' oil-spill were reported. It was reported that 500 tons of fuel remained on board. The tug Fotiy Krylov had attempted to move the ship and divers reviewed any damage, concluding that the ship's structural integrity was enough to continue with the removal of fuel. By 24 August the likely outcome would be to refloat the ship, even if only partially to then tow to a safer location.
The salvage companies involved were Tsavliris (Greece) and Svitzer Wijsmuller Salvage (Dutch subcontractors) who also took part in the fuel extraction and the refloating of the Sierra Nava, which ran aground near Algeciras in January 2007 and the Don Pedro
Don Pedro
-People:* Don Pedro Colley , American actor* Don Pedro de Alvarado , Spanish conquistador* Don Pedro Gil de Mogollón, Lord of Arroyo del Peche , Spanish nobleman...
which ran aground near Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
in the same year. When it was announced that no oil remained in the wreck, it was also noted that the ship would not be salvaged in a single piece due to structural damage and would be instead cut in two parts at one-third of its length from the bow. The stern section will be removed first, towed to a safe area, its cargo removed and then taken to dry dock in Gibraltar. On completion, the bow part would have been removed in parts where it rests.
The operation was scheduled to start in October with the removal of the stern in November and the bow as late as March 2008. However, the salvage company experienced technical difficulties in cutting up the vessel. Following heavily prolonged bad weather, the vessel broke up into two on 22 December 2007, prompting an emergency meeting by the Government of Gibraltar with maritime authorities. As of 30 December 2007, lifting operations continue on the New Flame.
28 December 2007. The vessel's insurers appointed Titan Maritime to salve the wreck and cargo. Titan is one of the world's largest marine salvage companies.
8 January 2008. Executives of Titan Marine Salvage made a presentation to Gibraltar and Spanish journalists outlining their plan to salvage the ship and contain any oil spills. They stated that the cargo was scrap iron. This company was previously responsible for the salvage of the Spabunker IV, a fully laden Spanish oil bunkering vessel which sank in the bay.
15 February 2009. The salvage of the remaining section of the New Flame is still under way, due to Spanish media and politicians twisting reports provided by the Gibraltar Government they are not providing as detailed information regarding the ongoing salvage as they had been, the exclusion zone around the site is still in effect.
16 February 2009. The salvage operation of the New Flame featured on "Salvage Code Red" on the National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
first airing at 2100hrs GMT on 16-02-2009
Possible disaster effects
Most of the speculation so far has been on the effect of an oil spill, yet none occurred at the collision; some occurred during salvage but was contained. No speculation has been made on the possible effects that the main cargo (scrapScrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
metal) may have. There have been repeated concerns raised that incidents in the area are commonplace; this was the second incident of the year,
with local politicians on both Gibraltar and Spanish sides calling for a review of procedures. On 21 August the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (Salvamento Maritimo) announced that it had put in place its anti-pollution alert program. The bulk of these measures is the deployment of the ship "Don Inda", based in Galicia which arrived at Algeciras on 14 August. On 31 August the European Maritime Safety Agency
European Maritime Safety Agency
The European Maritime Safety Agency is a European Union agency charged with reducing the risk of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and the loss of human lives at sea by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation...
announced that, at the request of the Spanish administration the ship "Mistra Bay", which specialises on treatment of pollution, will be sent to the area. The ship is based in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and it would come into action should the fears that New Flame will split in two come true.
The Government of Gibraltar announced on 14 September 2007 that all fuel was removed from the vessel, totalling 780 cubic metres. The operation had been hampered by bad weather and the exposed location of the wreck. It is only the ship and its cargo of scrap that remains.
Following continued media speculation and accusations in Spain the Government of Gibraltar announced it would make no further public comment, except that "This salvage operation has taken place more quickly than comparable salvage operations elsewhere in the world."
On 6 August 2008, the stern section was lifted and taken to the ship repair yard.
Legal Issues
The captain, Demetrio Konstantinos, a Greek national, was arrested and later released on bail. He is facing safety charges that the New Flame may have left the Port of Gibraltar without authorisation.See also
MV FedraMV Fedra
M/V Fedra was a Liberian-registered bulk-carrier cargo ship. It ran aground and smashed against Europa Point, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar on 10 October 2008 following severe gale force winds measuring 12 on the Beaufort scale...