Monstrous Oil Skimmer Arrives In Gulf
-
By Tracy Staedter
June 16, 2010 -- A Taiwanese tanker ship, called the “A Whale” has been converted into an oil skimmer, making it the largest oil-skimming vessel in the world. It has 12 vents on either side of its bow that are designed to take in 500,000 barrels of oily water a day. To date, between 71.2 million and 139 million gallons of oil have poisoned the Gulf.
All Photos: AP/Patrick Semansky
The "A Whale," which is anchored on the Mississippi River in Boothville, La., is the length of 3 1/2 football fields and stands 10 stories high. It has not yet been tested as an oil-skimming vessel, however. Seawater sucked in through the vents and filtered is discharged containing trace amounts of oil. So the Environmental Protection Agency will have to approve its use before it can get to work.
Because the ship is so big, it could withstand storms and high seas longer than much smaller, more conventional skimmers. Nobu Su, CEO of the Taiwanese shipping company TMT Corporation, decided to retrofit the tanker ship back in May, without approval from BP or the U.S. Coast Guard. If the ship gets the go-ahead to help with the clean up, it will be joined by its sister ship “B Whale” in mid-July.
-
our sites
-
video
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
comments ( )