Resolve Marine Group Completed Wreck Removal Of Cement And Grounded Off Oman Beaches

Resolve Marine Group  completed the complicated wreck removal of the bulk cement carrier MV RAYSUT II, which grounded off the clean beaches of Al-Fazayah Beach, Salalah. Because of their plan to refloat her in one piece and less environmental damage Resolve was chosen for this project. Al-Fazayah Beach, Salalah, is a unique vacation spot and is known for the nesting of endangered sea turtles. The partially loaded vessel, RAYSUTT II, departed Port of Salalah in May of last year due to adverse weather conditions. The vessel grounded on Fazayah Beach on 26th May 2018 as they lost headway and steering.

The grounding was disastrous for the tourist community and locals as the 5 kilometers long stunning landscape is home to five of the world’s seven species of Sea turtle, four of which nest there – the green turtle, the hawksbill, the loggerhead, and the Olive Ridley.

When the vessel grounded, it was laden with approximately 6,750mt of dry powdered cement. After the initial responder’s failed attempt to refloat during the Monsoon season, she was defueled and declared as a CTL (Constructive Total Loss).

As a result, in November 2018 Resolve Marine Group was awarded the contract for removal and disposal of the vessel and cargo. After being awarded the contract Resolve mobilized their Crane Barge RMG 1000 and Resolve Monarch from Singapore, two of their specialty owned salvage and wreck removal support vessels.

The assets arrived in Salalah early January, and the vessel was successfully patched up and refloated with cargo on board in early February 2019 by the Resolve team. This was determined to be the most environmentally sound method to carry out the operation. The other methods proposed by salvors such as cutting in situ would have posed considerable delays. The Government was averse to the possibility of operations progressing into the next monsoon, season when weather conditions would have made operations more challenging and threatening to the environment.

The vessel was towed by the RESOLVE MONARCH to the port of Salalah, Oman, where the bulk of the cargo was discharged by Resolve. The vessel cement pumping system had to be reactivated and modified so that the cement cargo could be directly discharged into closed road tankers to avoid dust pollution. Special Airlifts were designed by Resolve to discharge the holds where the cargo was partially solidified and could not be pumped directly.