Repsol-YPF SA plans to recover Prestige's fuel oil

April 17, 2003
Repsol-YPF SA, Madrid, plans to begin work this summer to recover fuel oil contained within the tanker Prestige, which sank off the Galicia coast of northwestern Spain (OGJ Online, Nov. 27, 2002).

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Apr. 17 -- Repsol-YPF SA, Madrid, plans to begin work this summer to recover fuel oil contained within the tanker Prestige, which sank off the Galicia coast of northwestern Spain (OGJ Online, Nov. 27, 2002).

Plans hinge upon developing robots capable of working in 4,000 m of water. On Feb. 14, the Spanish government contracted Repsol to recover oil from the wreck, which is lying in two pieces in 3,500 m of water. Divers and existing robots cannot operate at that depth.

Repsol established a technical committee that evaluated the project and sought the advice of oil companies having deepwater expertise. The committee gathered a group of 40 experts worldwide in March.

After a detailed analysis, the committee announced a series of recommendations and a schedule for operations this summer.

Initial plans call for "the immediate technological development of robots capable of working at 4,000 m. . .and of sealing the leaks that could still remain active.

"There will be an attempt with an initial pilot test through gravity extraction of the fuel by using shuttle bags and also a compilation of all the necessary data to carry out the definitive engineering solutions of extraction, pumping, and confining of the wreck. The environmental and safety issue will have a strong focus in the planning and execution of the project," a Repsol news release said.