RAISING THE BARGE Barring any setbacks, a marine salvage crew will begin bringing up the barge that has been spilling fuel oil into the Mississippi River for more than a week. WHAT’S TAKING A look at the salvage operation, its complexities and how it all started: SO LONG RESPONSE: As with any disaster, offi- VIEW: FACING DOWNRIVER Crescent City Connection cials must assess support pier the problem, coordinate efforts and plan accordingly, NEW ORLEANS ALGIERS all of which takes time. HIRING SALVAGE CREW: Bisso Marine was awarded the 5 contract to remove the barge from the bottom of the river. RESEARCH: The salvage crew 6 had to locate a sister barge of the one that sank in order to determine dimensions, tanks 1 and air pockets. Divers also Padeye needed to familiarize Crane barge Crane barge themselves with the barge because visibility will be limited. SIDE Tank Tank Tank Oil “burps” are Mississippi River expected during TOP Siphon Tank 1 the salvage Bow section: Front hose 35 ft. of barge pokes out Tank Tank Tank 80 ft. of river, belly facing 200 ft. 4 upriver DIVING: Facing strong currents 2 3 and little or no visibility in the muddy river water, divers will Tank 3 Tank 2 1 Stabilizing the wreckage: struggle to do their job. They take shifts because they River The barge will be held in place by a crane using cannot stay under for more bottom than an hour before needing Stern section: Rear of custom-made hooks, called barge rests upside down to come up for more air and at bottom of river. padeyes, that are bolted into decompression. the bow. 2 Getting the air out: Divers WHAT STARTED IT ALL search for air pockets in the At 1:30 a.m. July 24, the tanker Tintomara hit a fuel barge barge to further stabilize the steered by a tugboat whose crew was not properly licensed to wreckage and prevent operate on the Mississippi River. The barge, carrying more than explosions when boring into 400,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil, was sliced open by the impact. the hull. BIRD’S-EYE VIEW, JUST BEFORE IMPACT: 3 Removing the oil: Tanks 1 Tugboat and 2 will be cleared of any TED JACKSON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Barge lingering oil. Tank 3, which 600 ft. may not be damaged, will be CUSTOM EQUIPMENT: A special hook, called a padeye, had to tapped and drained. be manufactured to secure 200 ft. Tanker the bow section of the barge Cutting it up: A cutting barge and lift it. Two padeyes were 4 called the Ajax will slice fitted for this operation. SIDE VIEW: through Tank 2, separating Tanker the wreckage to ease the TINTOMARA Barge removal. 35 ft. Removing the bow: The front 5 section of the barge will be THE RESULT New Orleans lifted straight up and onto a EQUIPMENT DELIVERY: Special The Mississippi waiting barge. cutting and lifting equipment, River was closed LOUISIANA such as the Ajax (below), had to all ship traffic M Removing the stern: The to be transported to the site. iss from New Orleans Area of . R iv 6 rear secton of the barge will to the Gulf of river er 20 miles Mexico. It has closed be harnessed and raised since reopened. onto a waiting barge. Gulf of Mexico Sources: Bisso Marine, Coast Guard DAN SWENSON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE.