Safe Boating: an essential guide
17 March 2010
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Auckland’s harbourmaster’s team held an oil response training exercise in August with the Awanuia, New Zealand’s newest and largest refuelling tanker.
Participants in the exercise on board the
fuel tanker Awanuia
The Awanuia was put through the August exercise to make sure as many oil spill scenarios as possible are covered, and everyone knows what to do should something go wrong.
The tanker can hold 4.2 million litres of oil, enough fuel to fill 5 cruise ships and 12 medium cargo ships.
The 3900-tonne fuel tanker replaces the single-hulled Tolema barge which is to be retired. The ship is owned by Seafuels, a joint venture company with Ports of Auckland and Pacific Basin Shipping.
The Turkish-built ship provides a new refuelling service for cruise ships and commercial vessels arriving into Auckland’s port.
Mick Courtnell, Marine Pollution Response Co-ordinator with the harbourmaster's office, says the Awanuia has a double hull, so in that respect she’s safer than the current, much smaller refuelling tanker.
The harbourmaster’s boat alongside the Awanuia during
the August exercise
“If something pierces the outer layer, the inner layer still offers protection. But if something does go wrong, it will be major and we’ll be prepared to deal with the situation,” he says.
Involved in the exercise was tanker crew, and staff from Ports of Auckland, MNZ and Northland Regional Council.
The harbourmaster’s team is the first responder to an oil spill on the harbour. On average there are about six major spills in the harbour or further out in the gulf each year.
“In the port area and marinas, we’ve reduced spills that occur during bunkering by having a really good audit process in place. So in those areas we are better placed to have some control in preventing spills,” says Mick.