Commercial divers began removing oil from the wreck of the S/S Princess Kathleen on Saturday, April 16, 2010. The Princess Kathleen is a 369-foot passenger vessel that ran aground in foul weather on Lena Point near Juneau, Alaska on September 7, 1952 and later sank on a changing tide.
Increasingly frequent reports of oil sheens above the site of the shipwreck in February of this year prompted officials to take action to better prevent the marine environment. In early March, a Unified Command was established between the United States Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to oversee removal of fuel oil coming from the shipwreck.
Coast Guard Uses Remotely Operated Vehicle to Survey Vessel
The United States Coast Guard opened what is known as the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to cover the costs associated with mitigating oil leaking from the Princess Kathleen. Unified Command approved a plan to remove fuel trapped in the ship’s tanks and take steps to protect environmentally sensitive sites near the scene of the shipwreck.
In March, a remote underwater operating vehicle was used to better quantify the amount of fuel remaining onboard the Princess Kathleen and the overall condition of the vessel. Estimates are that between 14,000 and 34,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel remain on the ship in ten separate fuel tanks. After 58 years, deteriorating fuel tanks are allowing small amounts of the trapped fuel to leak to the surface.
In a press release discussing the survey effort, Commander Captain Melissa Bert said, “Based on the recent reports of a sheen from the Princess Kathleen and our concern for the environment, the Coast Guard felt diving on the vessel to determine its actual condition was necessary. Any action we take with regard to this vessel will be done in conjunction with our state and local partners and balance our concern for the environment and its historical significance.”
Dive Operations Aimed at Removing Fuel Oil
The bunker type fuel used by the Princess Kathleen is very viscous, especially in the glacier-fed waters of Southeast Alaska. Unified Command has hired the firm Global Diving & Salvage to remove the fuel trapped onboard the ship.
Divers are using a technique known as hot-tapping to remove the heavy fuel. A hole is cut into the tank to allow a heat exchanger, warmed by hot water, to be placed in the fuel. A second hole is made to allow insertion of a suction hose. Fuel removed by the suction hose is recirculated back into the tank until all the fuel contained there is warm and then more easily removed.
The Alaska Petroleum Resource Organization (SEAPRO) is providing a protective containment boom that surrounds the scene of the oil recovery effort. The boom is meant to protect the surrounding shores if there is an unplanned release of oil. SEAPRO is providing the services of two of its response vessels, the Rudyerd Bay and Neka Bay.
Future Plans for the Cleanup Effort
As fuel is removed from known locations on the Princess Kathleen, divers will continue to survey the vessel to identify areas that have trapped fuel within the hull. Officials estimate there are between 1,500 and 3,000 gallons of fuel trapped within the ship’s structure. Temporary patches are being placed over openings like portholes to slow the escape of fuel. An additional barge is being moved on scene to support the fuel lightering (removal) operations.
Alan Sorum - Alan Sorum is the Maritime Operations Project Manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). Alan is ...
