Submersible craft in Subic ready for Guimaras cleanup
Remotely Operated Vehicle
ROV, capable of operating down to 2000 m and burying cables 0.6 m. Weight: 3.5 British tonnes. (Courtesy of Global Marine Systems, Ltd.)
ROV, capable of operating down to 2000 m and burying cables 0.6 m. Weight: 3.5 British tonnes. (Courtesy of Global Marine Systems, Ltd.)By Allan Macatuno - Inquirer
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- While the government is looking elsewhere to find equipment to contain the massive oil spill in Guimaras Strait, a submersible remote operated vehicle (ROV) is available here waiting to be tapped.
A ship with an ROV, which can go down to the ocean floor and send video footage to the controller, is docked at the former ship repair facility, according to Australian diver and archeologist Brian Homan.
“The submersible ROV that is on board the cable retriever ship can do the preliminary inspection of the leak in the tanks (of the sunken tanker) and send information that can help the government identify ways to repair the damage and remove the oil,” Homan told the Inquirer.
The cable retriever ship is owned by Global Marines, a marine technology and engineering company based in United Kingdom. The firm has made Subic its home port in the Asia-Pacific region.
Homan, who has been working for the National Museum for more than 20 years, said it was important to immediately send the cable retriever ship to Guimaras Strait to inspect the sunken tanker.
“Subic Bay is just 200 nautical miles from Guimaras and the ship can reach the location within 24 hours. To bring in another vessel from Singapore will take several more days to mobilize,” he said.
The ROV can lay cables in deep or shallow waters and retrieve, repair and return them to the bottom of the ocean. It has arms, clamps, lights and cameras designed to record features of sunken ships.
SBMA chief open to idea
But the ROV cannot bring the tanker to the surface.
“The most appropriate thing to do now is to consider this measure and prevent further oil spill,” Homan said. “It is up to the government to ask the company that owns the cable retriever ship for help.”
He said he had spoken with Feliciano Salonga, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and broached the idea of tapping the cable retriever ship for the cleanup operations in Guimaras.
“For me this is just a bit of advice. I told them that this is the best move but SBMA officials are the ones to decide on this matter,” Homan said.
Homan was involved in the recovery of a FedEx plane that overshot Subic’s runway and submerged into 30 feet of water near the shoreline.
“That was just a simple recovery,” he said. “But since I work for the National Museum, I had several experiences in retrieving ancient ships.”
Homan had recovered relics off the coast of Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan and Sulu since 1983.
“Many people have asked me about my opinion on this oil spill in Guimaras. I just told them that the best move is to ask the company that owns the cable retriever ship to do an inspection of the sunken tanker,” he said.
SBMA officials met on Tuesday and considered asking the company that leases the cable retriever ship for help.
Malampaya Corp. ROV
Former SBMA Chair Felicito Payumo said the government could also ask the Malampaya Corp. to lend its submersible ROV for the operation.
“Both the ROV and the cable retriever ship do a lot more complicated tasks. The Malampaya ship laid the oil pipeline from Palawan to Batangas while the cable retriever vessel repairs the trans-ocean cable lines that get damaged on the ocean floor,” Payumo said.
Salonga, a retired commodore of the Philippine Coast Guard, agreed with the idea of Homan and Payumo.
“We are on the same page as far as this issue is concerned,” Salonga said.
“The plan of action of the sunken tanker’s owners must be known. I want to be sure that they are thinking of what I’m thinking so that before I approach the owners of the cable retriever ship, we have a common understanding of what is needed,” he said.
Salonga said he had informed Petron officials about the availability of the cable retriever ship but was told that the company was already discussing with an international broker.
“If that international broker taps the cable retriever, there will be no problem. The captain of the cable retriever told us that it can be used for surveying the area and other purposes to minimize the spill,” he said.
A ship with an ROV, which can go down to the ocean floor and send video footage to the controller, is docked at the former ship repair facility, according to Australian diver and archeologist Brian Homan.
“The submersible ROV that is on board the cable retriever ship can do the preliminary inspection of the leak in the tanks (of the sunken tanker) and send information that can help the government identify ways to repair the damage and remove the oil,” Homan told the Inquirer.
The cable retriever ship is owned by Global Marines, a marine technology and engineering company based in United Kingdom. The firm has made Subic its home port in the Asia-Pacific region.
Homan, who has been working for the National Museum for more than 20 years, said it was important to immediately send the cable retriever ship to Guimaras Strait to inspect the sunken tanker.
“Subic Bay is just 200 nautical miles from Guimaras and the ship can reach the location within 24 hours. To bring in another vessel from Singapore will take several more days to mobilize,” he said.
The ROV can lay cables in deep or shallow waters and retrieve, repair and return them to the bottom of the ocean. It has arms, clamps, lights and cameras designed to record features of sunken ships.
SBMA chief open to idea
But the ROV cannot bring the tanker to the surface.
“The most appropriate thing to do now is to consider this measure and prevent further oil spill,” Homan said. “It is up to the government to ask the company that owns the cable retriever ship for help.”
He said he had spoken with Feliciano Salonga, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and broached the idea of tapping the cable retriever ship for the cleanup operations in Guimaras.
“For me this is just a bit of advice. I told them that this is the best move but SBMA officials are the ones to decide on this matter,” Homan said.
Homan was involved in the recovery of a FedEx plane that overshot Subic’s runway and submerged into 30 feet of water near the shoreline.
“That was just a simple recovery,” he said. “But since I work for the National Museum, I had several experiences in retrieving ancient ships.”
Homan had recovered relics off the coast of Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan and Sulu since 1983.
“Many people have asked me about my opinion on this oil spill in Guimaras. I just told them that the best move is to ask the company that owns the cable retriever ship to do an inspection of the sunken tanker,” he said.
SBMA officials met on Tuesday and considered asking the company that leases the cable retriever ship for help.
Malampaya Corp. ROV
Former SBMA Chair Felicito Payumo said the government could also ask the Malampaya Corp. to lend its submersible ROV for the operation.
“Both the ROV and the cable retriever ship do a lot more complicated tasks. The Malampaya ship laid the oil pipeline from Palawan to Batangas while the cable retriever vessel repairs the trans-ocean cable lines that get damaged on the ocean floor,” Payumo said.
Salonga, a retired commodore of the Philippine Coast Guard, agreed with the idea of Homan and Payumo.
“We are on the same page as far as this issue is concerned,” Salonga said.
“The plan of action of the sunken tanker’s owners must be known. I want to be sure that they are thinking of what I’m thinking so that before I approach the owners of the cable retriever ship, we have a common understanding of what is needed,” he said.
Salonga said he had informed Petron officials about the availability of the cable retriever ship but was told that the company was already discussing with an international broker.
“If that international broker taps the cable retriever, there will be no problem. The captain of the cable retriever told us that it can be used for surveying the area and other purposes to minimize the spill,” he said.
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