Divers and remotely operated underwater vehicles have completed a review of the hull of a Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill barge that ran aground two weeks ago on a remote Alaska island, as the Unified Command overseeing the incident response announced steps to mitigate its impact on the local tanner crab fishery.
A spokeswoman for the joint information center on the Kulluk grounding, Amber Bassen, says information gathered by divers and the ROVs is being analyzed.
The Kulluk will remain in Kiliuda Bay until the conclusion of this year’s tanner crab fishery. In a Monday statement, the Unified Command says it has been working with the Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative to mitigate the incident’s impact on area crabbers.
“A claims process has been established for any crab fishermen losses that occur as a result of the Kulluk's presence in Kiliuda Bay during this year's Tanner Crab fishing season,” officials wrote.
In addition, a marine coordinator will coordinate response vessels’ movements, with updates provided to crabbers every four hours.
The Kulluk is a circular barge 266 feet in diameter with a 160-foot derrick.
The Kulluk drilled last year in the Beaufort Sea. It was being towed to Seattle on Dec. 27 when it lost its tow line. Reattached lines also broke and the vessel ran aground New Year's Eve.
The drill vessel was refloated Jan. 6 and towed to Kiliuda Bay, a sheltered bay on Kodiak Island.
A Channel 2 call to the Unified Command requesting details on the claims process wasn’t immediately returned Monday evening.
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