Kulluk Aground

The Kulluk remains grounded and upright with no evidence of sheen in the vicinity on Thursday, Jan. 4. The rig grounded in high seas and strong winds on December 31, 2012, and a full scale response and recovery involving the U. S. Coast Guard, Shell, the State of Alaska, local governments and private contractors has been underway since then. (Judy Patrick / January 5, 2013)

By The Associated Press Dan Joling AP

12:56 p.m. AKST, January 5, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—

Responders are preparing to hook a main tow line to an oil-drilling ship grounded on rocks near a remote Alaska island.
   
Officials overseeing the response to the grounding of Royal Dutch Shell's Kulluk barge said they could use the line to "test capabilities" as they prepare to recover the ship.
   
But the plans Saturday are subject to tides and weather. They can be fierce in the North Pacific during winter.
   
Officials also hope to deploy oil-soaking booms around nearby Kodiak Island, especially near any salmon streams.
   
They say there's no sign the hull has been breached or that oil has spilled from the vessel. It ran aground during a year-end storm.