A giant oil skimmer named “A Whale” is providing a new hope for larger-scale cleanup up the Gulf oil spill amid stormy weather. The ship is an oil tanker converted for the purpose of skimming oil and is currently being evaluated “on the effectiveness of its untested oil recovery systems,” according to a release by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center.
The conversion took place in Lisbon, Portugal in June by Taiwan shipping giant TMT (“Today Makes Tomorrow”) Shipping. It is being billed as the world’s hugest oil skimmer, converted from an oil tanker. The massive Taiwanese oil skimmer is 10 stories high, as long as 3 1/2 football fields, and is believed to be able to process 21 million gallons of water per day, according to the Associated Press.
The vessel takes in water in through vents at its water line, separates oil from the water, and then pumps the cleaner water back into the sea.
The ship arrived at the Gulf of Mexico on June 30th, but is still in testing stages. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to confirm that the oil-laden water that is processed by the ship meets standards acceptable to it.
Most skimming operations that involve smaller vessels, as well as the laying of oil-corralling booms, has been halted as a result of severe weather caused by Hurricane Alex, reported the Associated Press. Many local officials were anxious to get the oil skimmers back on track and were frustrated that the “A Whale” can’t start skimming immediately.
“I’m real worried about what is going to happen with those boats not running. It can’t help,” said Tony Kennon, mayor of Orange Beach, Ala., reported the Associated Press.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it was exasperating to have “A Whale” anchored offshore instead of being put to immediate use.
Richard Ambrose, director of the Environmental Science and Engineering program at UCLA, was also concerned that the decision to halt cleanup efforts could allow more oil to wash up on beaches, or that the storm could push oil inlands into wetlands, reported the Associated Press.
“Stormy weather can bring oil places it wouldn’t have gone otherwise,” Ambrose said.
The drilling of the two relief wells was unaffected by weather and is two days ahead of schedule, BP said. That the wells are expected be completed early-to-mid-August.
The conversion took place in Lisbon, Portugal in June by Taiwan shipping giant TMT (“Today Makes Tomorrow”) Shipping. It is being billed as the world’s hugest oil skimmer, converted from an oil tanker. The massive Taiwanese oil skimmer is 10 stories high, as long as 3 1/2 football fields, and is believed to be able to process 21 million gallons of water per day, according to the Associated Press.
The vessel takes in water in through vents at its water line, separates oil from the water, and then pumps the cleaner water back into the sea.
The ship arrived at the Gulf of Mexico on June 30th, but is still in testing stages. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to confirm that the oil-laden water that is processed by the ship meets standards acceptable to it.
Most skimming operations that involve smaller vessels, as well as the laying of oil-corralling booms, has been halted as a result of severe weather caused by Hurricane Alex, reported the Associated Press. Many local officials were anxious to get the oil skimmers back on track and were frustrated that the “A Whale” can’t start skimming immediately.
“I’m real worried about what is going to happen with those boats not running. It can’t help,” said Tony Kennon, mayor of Orange Beach, Ala., reported the Associated Press.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it was exasperating to have “A Whale” anchored offshore instead of being put to immediate use.
Richard Ambrose, director of the Environmental Science and Engineering program at UCLA, was also concerned that the decision to halt cleanup efforts could allow more oil to wash up on beaches, or that the storm could push oil inlands into wetlands, reported the Associated Press.
“Stormy weather can bring oil places it wouldn’t have gone otherwise,” Ambrose said.
The drilling of the two relief wells was unaffected by weather and is two days ahead of schedule, BP said. That the wells are expected be completed early-to-mid-August.
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