In what is expected to be Brazil’s largest savage job in some time Ardent Global and Smit Salvage have been removing bunker fuel from the stranded 300,663-dwt very large ore carrier (VLOC) Stellar Banner that has been aground off the Brazilian coast since departing São Luís, Brazil in late February.
The 2016-built bulker, owned by Seoul-based Polaris Shipping, ran aground shortly after departing the Ponta da Madeira ore terminal for China.
An underwater inspection disclosed that a 25-meter long section of the ship’s hull toward the starboard bow was badly damaged in the incident. The vessel is estimated to have 3,500 tons of heavy fuel and 140 tons of gas oil on board as well as its cargo of ore loaded by Brazilian mining giant Vale.
