Mammoet Salvage, based in Schiedam, the Netherlands, has started the salvage operation of the Formosaproduct Brick. This product tanker, with a length of 228.5 meters, is on fire in the Straits of Malacca, 20 miles from Port Dickson, Malaysia. The tanker, carrying 58,000 tons of highly flammable naphtha, collided with the Ostende Max bulk carrier on 18 August. The collision led to a fire on the Formosaproduct Brick and 9 of its crew of 25 are still missing. After extinguishing the fire and stabilizing the ship, Mammoet Salvage will tow the tanker to a safe port.
Two tugs and expertise The Taiwanese owners of the Formosaproduct Brick engaged Mammoet Salvage. The first two tugs and the Mammoet salvage crew arrived five hours after the collision. Once the fire has been extinguished the ship will be stabilized. It will then be determined if the tanker can then be towed to a suitable port.
Naphtha At the time of the accident the Formosaproduct Brick, built in 2005, was carrying a 58,000 ton cargo of naphtha from the United Arab Emirates to South Korea. The engine room and rear cargo tanks were holed in the collision. There is a risk that fuel and cargo might spill into the sea.
Cause The Malaysian authorities have started an investigation to determine the cause of the collision between the two vessels on 18 August. The Straits of Malacca are one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. After the collision the Ostende Max was able to continue under its own power.